Posted on 04/18/2015 3:17:33 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Most rocket boosters either burn up in the atmosphere or – as NASA’s do – simply fall into the ocean. With cheaper spaceflight the ultimate goal, SpaceX is the first space organization to attempt a rocket landing on a floating base, or, as the company calls it, an “autonomous spaceport drone ship.” Still, it begs the question- why attempt the landing at sea?
According to American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace Engineer Paul Huter, it’s simply a matter of convenience. “The rocket is launching out over the Atlantic ocean, so the easiest place to land it would be straight out into the ocean. Now, obviously, this presents challenges when compared to landing [a rocket] on solid ground as something at sea is constantly moving around. But in terms of energy required (most of which has already been used during the launch), it is more efficient to try and land on something in the ocean.”
As for whether or not the deep-pocketed space organization can successfully land the rocket, some experts are dubious. Even before the latest landing attempt, Musk himself was giving it a 50/50 chance to succeed. Huter believes SpaceX can pull it off, but it won’t be anytime in the near future. “I think SpaceX has the capability and the know-how to land on the floating barge, but there are a lot of variables that need to be taken into consideration, which make it a difficult task,” he told FoxNews.com. “With unlimited time and money, they could pull it off and revolutionize space launch technology. But they only have so many launches, and each failure costs them money.”
SpaceX may try for an ocean landing again as early as June, when the next Dragon shipment is scheduled for launch.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This deep gravity well we sit in is always going to be a problem for rockets.
We need a space elevator but that costs a few bucks and presents a different set of problems.
So the gummint can’t get they grubby hands on it!
That won't do because the thrust/weight ratio is >1 even at minimum throttle. They throttle back too much and the candle snuffs out with no time for relight. 30 fps at 30' is no problem to zero, the trick is to do away with the horizontal motion and have that last 30' be straight down to the pad.
I think if they didn’t have to aim for such a relatively small target, they would be successful.
Maybe they should send both barges out there and have terminal guidance pick the easier one. Too bad they can't launch from a barge and maneuver it so there's an baseball diamond at the right spot for a landing...after all those ISS launches could go south just as well.
The launch was still a success; the thing didn’t blow up when it was taking off...
/johnny
I was wondering why they didn’t land it on a desert or something.
Processors are literally a million times faster today than what was available for Apollo’s day.
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Did you read that article? It is about capturing an engine, not the entire rocket.
SPECTRE, Osato Industries, and the Red Chinese collaborated and figured landing in a dormant volcano instead of that ocean thingy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnaorqo6krg
Yes, and yes.
Hell bring it straight down like a bullet and put a bulls eye on the landing platform.
I guess my ‘catch it with a net’ idea is shot down by omission?
We can land rovers on Mars, but not boosters back to Earth... And why doesn’t Musk use parachutes for the booster landing???
Yes they will, I have seen how quickly they are progressing, it is amazing
Why not just use a skyhook with some shoreline?
Why not go with a drilling platform? The stage can then be offloaded to a barge with the platform crane.
With that (non-)constraint, so could others.
It might work, but my question would be, then what? You've got a rocket sitting on a net in the ocean. How do you get it back to shore and get it off the net?
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