SpaceX successfully lands on droneship 8-4-16

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around SpaceX's successful landing of a rocket on a droneship, exploring the implications of reusability in rocketry, historical context, and personal reflections on the event. The scope includes technical aspects of rocket design, historical comparisons, and community excitement about advancements in space travel.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express excitement about the historic nature of the landing, comparing it to significant milestones in space exploration.
  • There is a discussion about the potential for reusing the Falcon 9 first stage, with some participants noting that this would be a significant advancement compared to previous rockets that were discarded after a single use.
  • One participant questions whether the rocket is intended for single use or if it can be reused, referencing SpaceX's communications about plans for reusability.
  • Another participant mentions the extensive checks and tests that the previously landed booster underwent to assess its condition for reuse, highlighting the challenges of refurbishment.
  • A participant reflects on a 1970s TV show that featured a reusable rocket, drawing parallels between fiction and current technological advancements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the excitement surrounding the landing and the potential for reusability, but there is uncertainty regarding the specifics of the rocket's future use and whether it will be reused or not. Multiple competing views remain about the implications of this landing for future missions.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of detailed information on the exact plans for the rocket's reuse and the conditions under which it may be refurbished. There are also unresolved questions about the historical context of rocket reusability.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in space exploration, rocket technology, and the history of aerospace engineering may find this discussion particularly engaging.

CynicusRex
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I'm excited like a 10 year old on Christmas.
History has been made, again.
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mfb said:
but the real goal is flying to space with it again.
So this is a one and done rocket?
 
All rockets that delivered anything to orbit were discarded after their single use so far.
The space shuttles and their boosters (but not the main tank) could be reused after months of refurbishment, which was about as expensive as building new boosters and more expensive than using a conventional rocket.

Using the first stage of Falcon9 again without months of work would be something completely new.
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
So this is a one and done rocket?
According to previous SpaceX communications, this may well be the first booster to get reused, some time later this year, after it has been tested thoroughly.

The one which previously landed on land underwent extensive checks and tests to evaluate whether it appeared to have returned in a condition suitable for reuse, including further test firings. However, SpaceX stated in advance that there was no plan to reuse the booster from the first successful landing, and they were wondering what to do with it when they had finished testing, for example whether there was somewhere it could be put on display as a historically important object.
 
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Best video I've seen so far.

 
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That must be the capability to launch again SpaceX is talking about.
Still looks more realistic reversed, although the exhaust is behaving funny then.

On a more serious note: here is a different thread (now closed) about the same topic.
 
Anyone remember a 1970's TV show called _Salvage 1_, staring Andy Griffith?

Part of it's premise involved a land-able, reusable rocket/craft much resembling this one, and seeing this video somehow managed to bring to mind images of watching TV on that old 12" b/w set . :)

Engineering catching up to imagination, perhaps.

--diogenesNY
 

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