Have we been able to land a rocket upright?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether humans have successfully landed a rocket upright, with the nose up and thrusters down, similar to its launch position. Participants explore various examples from space missions, particularly focusing on the Apollo program and its lunar landings, while also considering definitions of "ground" and the criteria for what constitutes a successful landing.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question if rockets have landed upright as they took off, referencing a SpaceX video.
  • Others mention the Apollo missions (Apollo 11-17) as examples where rockets landed with the nose up, noting one failure that was not related to the landing attempt.
  • There is a discussion about whether the Apollo Lunar Module (LM) counts as having landed upright, considering it took off from Earth before landing on the Moon.
  • Some participants suggest that the Apollo LLRV does not count since it lacked rocket engines.
  • Clarifications are made regarding the definition of "ground," with some questioning if the Moon qualifies as such.
  • Participants suggest searching for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and vertical takeoff vertical landing (VTVL) rockets for more examples.
  • Humorous remarks are made about human creativity and potential mishaps in rocket landings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on what constitutes a successful upright landing, with no consensus on whether the Apollo missions meet the criteria based on definitions of "ground" and the specifics of the landing process.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the definitions and criteria for successful rocket landings, particularly concerning the Apollo missions and the distinction between lunar and terrestrial ground.

hsdrop
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just an odd question that passed through my mind when i was watching a SpaceX youtube vid have we (as in humans)ever gotten a rocket to land on the ground with the nose up and the thrusters down (the same position the rocket took of in)?
 
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... wasn't that the vid you just watched? How about this one:
 
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Simon Bridge said:
... wasn't that the vid you just watched? How about this one:

the one i watched was a little older and it was animated so i was not share that they had done it or not
 
hsdrop said:
just an odd question that passed through my mind when i was watching a SpaceX youtube vid have we (as in humans)ever gotten a rocket to land on the ground with the nose up and the thrusters down (the same position the rocket took of in)?
Apollo 11-17 did that with only one failure...
 
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Carrock said:
Apollo 11-17 did that with only one failure...
...and the failure was not in the landing attempt.
 
i was not share that they had done it or not
Perhaps if you refined your question? It is unclear how you could be unaware/unsure of this:

(Off the question as asked...)
Apollo LLRV, probably doesn't count since it had no rocket engines (?)
Apollo LM landed rockets down, nose up - took off from the ground the same way.
Does the surface of the Moon count as "ground" here?
It landed and then took off ... does that count, or does it have to be take-off first?​

Apollo LLTV did have rockets, landed the same way it took off, and the take-off was first.

Also: search for vtol and vtvl rockets will get you lots of examples...
 
i was just making sure that we were keeping a head of this guy!
marvin riding rocket.gif

I was also in awe of the beaut that humans have been able to sculpt their dreams into reality
 
Those humans huh? All that creativity, and tasty too...
Pretty soon we'll have accidents where the rocket sinks into the launch platform because the pilot had it in reverse...
 
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Simon Bridge said:
Those humans huh? All that creativity, and tasty too...
Pretty soon we'll have accidents where the rocket sinks into the launch platform because the pilot had it in reverse...
HAY MEN SOME ONE TOLD ME "R" WAS FOR RACE
 
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And, I bet you believed them and crashed into someones house too, didn't you? :doh:
 
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Simon Bridge said:
(Off the question as asked...)
Apollo LLRV, probably doesn't count since it had no rocket engines (?)
Apollo LM landed rockets down, nose up - took off from the ground the same way.
Does the surface of the Moon count as "ground" here?
It landed and then took off ... does that count, or does it have to be take-off first?​
How is my post "Off the question as asked...?"

I neglected to mention the LM took off from Earth before it landed on the moon. No requirement in the OP for the engine to be running during take off.

Several mentions of [lunar] ground in APOLLO OVER THE MOON: A VIEW FROM ORBIT (NASA SP-362) so ground seems the right term.
 
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