Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Recreation Commons => Destination: Alpha Centauri => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on January 10, 2015, 04:53:18 pm

Title: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Buster's Uncle on January 10, 2015, 04:53:18 pm
SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Business Insider
By Jessica Orwig  6 hours ago


(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/l5rEN0X_PFPjLpkTGOpkpA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/SUCCESS_Elon_Musk_Landed_A-8813784314a7331e7eaceee8b5ac5d59)
SpaceX This morning's launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Elon, we have touch down!



Today, SpaceX launched and landed a Falcon 9 rocket in a game-changing event that is paving the way for a new era of reusable rocket technology.

After several delays and reschedulings, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon spacecraft full of cargo destined for the International Space Station (ISS) this morning, January 10, at 4:47 a.m. EST.

What was most exciting about this was the Falcon 9 rocket's descent onto the floating platform of a drone ship f loating a couple hundred miles off the northeast coast of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean .

Using GPS tracking, the rocket made it to the drone ship, a pretty amazing feat!

But sadly it landed too hard, Musk announced shortly after the landing attempt.

Quote
Rocket made it to drone spaceport ship, but landed hard. Close, but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2015


While other outlets are saying the test was a failure, because the hard landing means that the rocket is probably too damaged to be reused, we think it's still a win. It took a crazy amount of precision to guide the rocket from 50 miles above Earth's surface to a football field-sized platform in the ocean, and then actually land on it.

No one else has even thought to do this, let alone succeed.

Luckily, the ship was not damaged too much from the landing.

Quote
Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment on the deck will need to be replaced...
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2015


There was some hope that SpaceX would record the rocket's attempted landing, similar to the video they released for a soft landing in the ocean in July 2014. But that didn't quite work out, either.

Quote
Didn't get good landing/impact video. Pitch dark and foggy. Will piece it together from telemetry and ... actual pieces.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2015


At the end of the day, it's pretty incredible that SpaceX navigated a rocket onto a platform in the ocean. We call that a win!

Here's video of the launch:

Here's a peak at what the landing might have looked like, if it was a little softer, made by SpaceX fan and Redditor Jon Ross on ZL SA Design .


(http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/7jgBnvYBDAjDxbFNBIABOw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/SUCCESS_Elon_Musk_Landed_A-c695009f4099187cc86e94d57506b36f)
Jon Ross at @zlsadesign and zlsa.github.io Artist's impression of SpaceX rocket landing.


Musk said he guessed that there was about a 50% probability of success fo the test. Getting the rocket to the drone ship is step one. The next step is landing softly.

Today's launch was the fifth of at least 12 resupply missions that SpaceX has contracted with NASA. So, there will be more opportunities to try this groundbreaking stunt again until we get it right. And more opportunities for awesome pictures like this one:

As seen from my backyard. Pretty launch this morning! #SpaceX #Dragon #Falcon9 #Spaceflight #crs5 #iss #space pic.twitter.com/SNsR4sMJSy


http://news.yahoo.com/success-elon-musk-landed-rocket-090000438.html (http://news.yahoo.com/success-elon-musk-landed-rocket-090000438.html)
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Flux on January 10, 2015, 07:00:18 pm
Y'know, I've seen a lot of rocket launches actually happen IRL. So normally anything about space isn't a big deal for me.
But this is awesome. I hope they can perfect it.
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Buster's Uncle on January 10, 2015, 07:12:42 pm
That was your 500th post, Florida-boy.
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Flux on January 10, 2015, 07:30:59 pm
Quote from: BUncle on January 10, 2015, 07:12:42 pm
That was your 500th post, Florida-boy.
Oh, it was! :D
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: sisko on January 10, 2015, 08:26:15 pm
Quote from: BlueFlux on January 10, 2015, 07:00:18 pm
Y'know, I've seen a lot of rocket launches actually happen IRL. So normally anything about space isn't a big deal for me.
Do we have an :envy: smilie?
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Flux on January 10, 2015, 08:31:55 pm
Quote from: sisko on January 10, 2015, 08:26:15 pm
Quote from: BlueFlux on January 10, 2015, 07:00:18 pm
Y'know, I've seen a lot of rocket launches actually happen IRL. So normally anything about space isn't a big deal for me.
Do we have an :envy: smilie?
I could make one, but I don't experience that a lot (thankfully)
So I'm not really sure what it would look like. Isn't that more of a thought than an expression anyway?
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: sisko on January 10, 2015, 08:36:07 pm
A green face seems to be mandatory: https://www.google.ro/search?q=envy+smiley&biw=931&bih=437&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-4yxVPmjMojjasG0gcgE&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ (https://www.google.ro/search?q=envy+smiley&biw=931&bih=437&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-4yxVPmjMojjasG0gcgE&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ)
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Buster's Uncle on January 10, 2015, 09:06:10 pm
Definitely green.
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Geo on January 11, 2015, 05:12:42 am
With speckles.

Dunno about the envy part though. It sounds like kinda noisy around a spaceport...
Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: Flux on January 11, 2015, 05:19:24 am
Quote from: sisko on January 10, 2015, 08:36:07 pm
A green face seems to be mandatory: https://www.google.ro/search?q=envy+smiley&biw=931&bih=437&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-4yxVPmjMojjasG0gcgE&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ (https://www.google.ro/search?q=envy+smiley&biw=931&bih=437&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-4yxVPmjMojjasG0gcgE&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ)
On Monday. Thats when I have my PC. I'll do something green then.

Title: Re: SUCCESS: Elon Musk Landed A Rocket On A Platform In The Ocean
Post by: sisko on January 11, 2015, 07:19:29 am
Quote from: Geo on January 11, 2015, 05:12:42 am
Dunno about the envy part though. It sounds like kinda noisy around a spaceport...
Oh, I don't want to live near a spaceport. Having a chance to see a launch in RL is what I envy.
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