Why not design it as a glider so that on entering the atmosphere it could navigate and land on an airfield. Oh, hold on...
Space X Grasshopper VTL Rocket
- Thread starter Greenlantern101
- Start date
Did Scott Tracy have to make do with a glider? No!
I share the opinion that this is not the most simple method of recovering a launch system. In rocket launches, weight is everything. The fact that this system requires the storage of fuel for the landing system means the reduction in payload capability in relation to a non recoverable version of the same size and fuel capacity.
I guess where this one needs to win is in the speed of turn around and re-launch. The whole idea of a return.to launch pad recovery should be that the system can, with minimal maintenance, be ready to go again in the minimum time possible.
Imagine they get the system to the point where it lands on the pad, they run a systems check, re-fuel, drop on a new second stage/payload and within 48hrs it's good to go again.
If on the other hand, once returning to pad, the system needs to be struck down, returned to a maintenance and re-assembley area before even getting near a new launch then, as others have posted, it could be recovered in any number of ways.
Having said all that, it is seriously impressive to do what Space X has done. It will be interesting to see where the on-going development takes the progamme.
I guess where this one needs to win is in the speed of turn around and re-launch. The whole idea of a return.to launch pad recovery should be that the system can, with minimal maintenance, be ready to go again in the minimum time possible.
Imagine they get the system to the point where it lands on the pad, they run a systems check, re-fuel, drop on a new second stage/payload and within 48hrs it's good to go again.
If on the other hand, once returning to pad, the system needs to be struck down, returned to a maintenance and re-assembley area before even getting near a new launch then, as others have posted, it could be recovered in any number of ways.
Having said all that, it is seriously impressive to do what Space X has done. It will be interesting to see where the on-going development takes the progamme.
This is just a small part of Amazons 'investments' all based on automation, tv, robots, drones and now rockets. Once the 'investments' have been developed suficiently they will launch stage 2. World domination.
That's the spirit guys 
That's the point at which they rename the company Skynet.
Am I the only one scared by Google and Amazons technology investments? Did anyone ever play a computer game called Syndicate?
No, but for some time I have felt that Google and Amazon want full world domination, no, are determined to get full etc. They know that they are above the law.
BOOM!
Moment SpaceX rocket exploded
Facebook was going to "help" Africa by putting a satellite up to help deliver more advertising to them. Divine intervention? The bastards will just build another though.
Moment SpaceX rocket exploded
Facebook was going to "help" Africa by putting a satellite up to help deliver more advertising to them. Divine intervention? The bastards will just build another though.
From the footage it looks to me like an electrical short ignited either the final stage rocket engine or, I believe they have small thruster engines used to control the attitude of the craft as it decends for recovery and it may have been one of those.
Either way, that's an expensive mistake.
Either way, that's an expensive mistake.
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