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Are they planning on using this recovered first stage for a reusability test, or are they going to destructively examine it to see how all the components held up?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you underestimate the degree of difficulty between these two achievements. They are both very impressive but what SpaceX just did is many times more difficult than what Blue Origin did.
OK, explain how the landing of the SpaceX first stage was many times more difficult? They used different mechanisms, yes (suicide burn vs. hover-capable) and the purpose of the overall system was different, but they are both VTOL rockets. Blue Origin was first , and Bezos can quite rightly welcome SpaceX to 'the club' as the second company to achieve this, without being accused of being classless, surely?
It's the difference between slowing your car down gently to stop at a red light, and having your car going at max speed and slamming on the brakes as hard as you can at exactly the right moment so that you will eventually stop at the lights. One is easy to do, the other will most likely get you killed.
Are they planning on using this recovered first stage for a reusability test, or are they going to destructively examine it to see how all the components held up?
Are they planning on using this recovered first stage for a reusability test, or are they going to destructively examine it to see how all the components held up?
So before we all thank Elon for taking our money, let's pat our selves on the back.
Really we should thank the amazing spacex engineers, who worked tirelessly. Not just Elon. Sure he worked hard too, but not much more than anyone else at spacex
I'm just tired of the Elon worship. Nobody acknowledges the amazing people who actually made this happen. As an engineer it pisses me off. Sorry if this is an unpopular opinion.
But perhaps more importantly its the first "first" for SpaceX which has not been done by NASA or anyone else. Launch a payload in to orbit and recover the booster back to the launch site. The SRBs from the shuttle were essentially shell refurbs, SpaceShip 1 and Blue Origin sub-orbital hops. This was, in my estimation, the real deal. It has to be an amazing feeling being on the team that made this possible. Congratulations, that is one way to write yourself into the history books.
Edit: I was so excited I couldn't even multiply 9 by 5!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This video ain't bad, but it skims over the two most important points and skips one completely: - SpaceX rocket goes really fast horizontally; it has to flip around and boost back, and then correct from horizontal to vertical orientation. - Falcon 9 is an actual space launch system; it has different (i.e. much stricter) engineering constraints than a suborbital rocket. In particular, this affects the engine design. -…
Why don't they put a smaller engine in the centre for landings?
Rockets that can reach orbit have very bad weight to payload ratios (Falcon 9 is ~2.5% takeoff weight to LEO) so there isn't much room for dead weight.
Elon should thank the American people. This achievement was financed by us and wouldn't be possible without the forward looking NASA program. So before we all thank Elon for taking our money, let's pat our selves on the back. Really we should thank the amazing spacex engineers, who worked tirelessly. Not just Elon. Sure he worked hard too, but not much more than anyone else at spacex I'm just tired of the Elon worshi…
Are they planning on using this recovered first stage for a reusability test, or are they going to destructively examine it to see how all the components held up?
Interest question about safeing it once it is landed. You can't just dump excess liquid oxygen are you'll end up starting fires. Fortunately it isn't like the shuttle which had Hydrazine in the OMS tanks that had to be managed post landing.
I can't wait until they land one in the daylight, and on the west coast so I can watch in person.
Elon should thank the American people. This achievement was financed by us and wouldn't be possible without the forward looking NASA program. So before we all thank Elon for taking our money, let's pat our selves on the back. Really we should thank the amazing spacex engineers, who worked tirelessly. Not just Elon. Sure he worked hard too, but not much more than anyone else at spacex I'm just tired of the Elon worshi…
Elon Musk has already been quoted as saying that the United States is "the greatest country that has ever existed on Earth". https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk#Nationalism