
SpaceX: “First stage landing confirmed at LZ-1” - abhi3
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/754902271515701248?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
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piquadrat
I find this statement from Elon really interesting[1]:

> We just completed the post-landing inspection and all systems look good.
> Ready to fly again.

While Elon Musk is known for being a bit optimistic with his predictions from
time to time, it really points to where SpaceX wants to be: instant
reusability. That's when we really reach a new space age, when rockets are as
reusable as airplanes, and SpaceX is working on it. What a time to be alive.

[1]:
[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/754931091891453952](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/754931091891453952)

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simonh
> We just completed the post-landing inspection and all systems look good.
> Ready to fly again.

It makes me wonder if they should literally do that. Fuel up the stage, send
it off and recover it again. Maybe fit it out with a dummy upper stage. They
have a handful of first stages now, so why not? It would reassure insurers and
customers that the process is reliable, provide opportunities to trial out and
streamline the refit process and provide valuable info on stage wear and tear.

They're need to get flight approvals and so on, it would certainly cost a lot
more than just the fuel so might not be worth the trouble.

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alex_duf
they might as well put a real payload on it right?

It's not exactly cheap to launch a full rocket, especially when you involve
hundreds of engineers.

I would be curious to know what's more expensive. Build again a satellite that
exploded or planning an empty launch?

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IshKebab
They could definitely launch cheap things that you still on need on ISS like
water, fuel and food.

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lmm
Any launch to the ISS involves expending a second stage, and IIRC NASA
requires the Dragons to be certified (as much for the safety of the ISS as
anything else) in a way that currently requires a new one each time.

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nicolapcweek94
That doesn't stop them from launching a new Dragon (2? hopefully they'll reuse
CRS8's booster before that, but it'd be cool to see the first Dragon 2 on top
of the first booster landed on the ship) on top of a reused booster though...
and of course, reusing the first stage doesn't mean reusing the second stage
(which is, in fact, never even recovered)

Moot point though, since SES has pretty much already bought the first reused
launch ( [http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/02/23/ses-eager-to-fly-
satell...](http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/02/23/ses-eager-to-fly-satellite-
aboard-used-falcon-9-rocket/) )

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lmm
> That doesn't stop them from launching a new Dragon (2? hopefully they'll
> reuse CRS8's booster before that, but it'd be cool to see the first Dragon 2
> on top of the first booster landed on the ship) on top of a reused booster
> though... and of course, reusing the first stage doesn't mean reusing the
> second stage (which is, in fact, never even recovered)

Sure. My point is that kind of mission is nowhere near as cheap as "throw a
bunch of food/water/fuel on top and send it up".

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ethbro
Start launching fuel & components for an Earth-Mars transfer vehicle up on the
refurbished rockets? SpaceX LEO parts depot: struts-while-u-wait!

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lmm
Would still involve an expended second stage, and would be unlikely to be
usable. In-orbit assembly is still extremely expensive because spacewalk time
is extremely expensive and self-assembly isn't quite there - it's usually
cheaper to launch a vehicle in one piece (which AIUI is SpaceX's plan), even
if you have to build a bigger rocket to do so.

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Diederich
This is some cool video of the landing, split screen. One perspective is from
the rocket itself. I think it's DAMN cool:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKCU6WfLtjk&feature=youtu.be...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKCU6WfLtjk&feature=youtu.be&t=1m10s)

Watch the video from the beginning to see the deceleration burn, which is
visually pretty interesting.

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mstade
Very, very cool – thanks for sharing!

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grinich
Night rocket landings are so beautiful. Check out this screencap from the
livestream: [http://i.imgur.com/FonyaMv.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/FonyaMv.jpg)

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iamcreasy
Today was even better. On most drone ship landing the ship looses satellite
connection because of the extreme vibration cause by approaching Merlin
engines.

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frgewut
I don't quite get why video feed is such a problem. Can't it be recorded and
then transmitted a few minutes later?

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smpetrey
Anyone else watch the webcast until the end?

[http://imgur.com/RhWlaZC](http://imgur.com/RhWlaZC)

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generj
Looked like a perfectly nominal launch. SpaceX has some good hardware,
hopefully they can pump out some more of it.

I liked the Pokemon Go meme at the end of the webcast, even if the host crew's
acting was fairly poor.

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batguano
> ... even if the host crew's acting was fairly poor.

I find the SpaceX reporters to be much more informative (and much less
irritating) that the standard network morons. These are (mostly or all, AFAIK)
actual SpaceX employees, with both genuine passion for the program and
knowledge of the mission.

And if they are a little less polished than many TV journalists, they make up
for it in enthusiasm, as well as just dorky adorableness.

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generj
Oh, I don't disagree with you. There is a depth of genuine emotion, and they
inform without dumbing down what is actually going on. By watching several
hosted webcasts, I've learned esoteric details I wouldn't have otherwise.

Sometimes it is a little too unpolished for me though - the guy running his
pencil down a chart of mission activities was pretty weird. The whole time I
was thinking: is the timeline for the next few activities not on your laptop
screen?

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blueintegral
They've only landed a handful now, but they're already making it look so easy.

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jacquesm
That's what all real innovation is about: making something difficult look
easy.

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monk_e_boy

        First landing:    400+ comments
        Today's landing:    9  comments.

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nicolapcweek94
Elon Musk: "We'll be successful, ironically, when it becomes boring."

Well, it's not boring yet, but it's definitely not on "First successful
booster landing ever" hype levels, though probably the first few Falcon Heavy
flights and the Mars announcement will be

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pbosko
It was so nominal! :D

