NobleSavage
Veteran Member
This is really cool. Anyone want to weigh in on the engineering necessary to make it work? It looks to me like it was coming in too fast.
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CRS-6 First Stage Landing
- Thread starter NobleSavage
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Earl IV
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I wonder why a parachute in the nose and some sort of inflatable flotation device wouldn't accomplish the same thing.
Why the powered landing?
Seems overly complex and a waste of fuel.
Why the powered landing?
Seems overly complex and a waste of fuel.
fromderinside
Mazzie Daius
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I thought so too until I realized the actual task is to develop a method of landing on another body that may have not have an atmosphere. Looking to asteroid mining I think. ...and they're doing it on the government's nickel.
A parachute and a floatation collar is a lot of extra weight and wouldn't even work--that's going to put the rocket under salt water. NASA tried that with the SRBs--and the refurbishment costs were about as great as the replacement cost.
Also, the rocket engine is there, the fuel weight for a landing is less than the weight of something else that could soft land the rocket.
barbos
Contributor
I think rocket started to tilt when it was pretty close to the ground, before that it was more less vertical.
I think there could be some ground effect affecting this whole thing.
I think there could be some ground effect affecting this whole thing.
The faster it's going the easier it is to keep it stable.
barbos
Contributor
not true and it was not that fast anyway.
Malintent
Veteran Member
some unfortunate wind... or, the last correction it made was a bit slow and it touched down at an angle and toppled over.
It is true that at higher speeds it is more stable. As it slows down, the aerodynamic forces that keep it stable fade away... not much different than keeping a bike uprights... faster is easier... not to say that the rotational force of the wheels is in any way related to aerodynamic forces... but that the concept is the same
It is true that at higher speeds it is more stable. As it slows down, the aerodynamic forces that keep it stable fade away... not much different than keeping a bike uprights... faster is easier... not to say that the rotational force of the wheels is in any way related to aerodynamic forces... but that the concept is the same
Shadowy Man
Contributor
Isn't the long-term intent to return to land, rather than sea?
NobleSavage
Veteran Member
There is a lot of private investment money on the line as well. Didn't Elon Musk sink $100 million of his own seed money?