The amazing moment SpaceX simultaneously lands TWO boosters back on Earth [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | February 6, 2018 | Annie Palmer and Harry Pettit and Cheyenne Macdonald

[C19fan]

As if SpaceX's successful Falcon Heavy launch wasn't impressive enough, the firm managed to complete another remarkable feat as the megarocket blasted off to Mars. Stunning video from today's launch shows the twin boosters returning to Cape Canaveral in a synchronized landing. The massive rocket launched at 3:45 p.m. ET, carrying Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster on board. Just over three minutes into the launch, the side boosters detached from the rocket and launch operators confirmed the rocket was on the right trajectory.

[C19fan]

Fantasy becomes reality.

[Doogle]

Remarkable.....

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I was truly impressed. Too bad the 3rd didn’t make it. Next time maybe.

[OpusatFR]

Absolutely amazing. Kudos to the engineers who created and built a new way to open up space exploration.

[ThunderSleeps]

The twin boosters touching down within seconds were impressive. I wonder how closely they were flying on the way back? They separated at about 7000 kph, burned down to zero then back up to some fairly good velocity to get back in just a few minutes. At separation they were just a few meters apart, and at touchdown their landing sites look to be a few hundred meters apart. As far as I know, they are GPS and maybe inertial guidance - no radar or laser range finders to fly in formation. Due to fuel constraints they'd both want to take a fairly direct route back. It'd be interesting to know their offset distance and velocity...

Too bad about the central core. Apparently they fire 3 of the 9 engines to slow for re-entry but in this case only 1 ignited. Even with a longer burn (?) apparently it came down at about 300 mph at impact. Once they saw there was a problem with the engines, I wonder if they intentionally guided it away from the drone ship. No sense punching a hole in it...

[robroys woman]

That was the best part of the whole thing.

[digger48]

That was something that looked like it could only be done in a movie.

Just toooo cool.

[Lockbox]

Why are we sending our used cars to Mars? Isn't this pollution which may also cause Mar's climate change? Why not recycle our waste on Earth?

/S

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

It was most impressive. I guess manned landings are a way off.

[laker_dad]

So do these boosters fly out over the ocean and then back to land at the Cape? If so, how far do they have to fly back?

[TalonDJ]

“Too bad the 3rd didn’t make it. Next time maybe.”

I am pretty sure the third one is not intended to come back. The first two launch it so high it is beyond the return capability of the Falcon. Still, saving two out of three is pretty darn good.

[NorthMountain]

Center booster was supposed to land on a barge in the ocean. Two engines did not restart properly, and it augered in.

[TheBattman]

It was one of those enviro-weenie, electric death traps known as a Tesla...