
First stage of Falcon 9 has landed on Just Read the Instructions - devarshar
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/820330549529047040
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Synroc
I know this is not unprecedented, but this was the first launch/landing I've
seen live, and the sensation I got when it landed on the pad is one I've
rarely experienced before.

Might be hyperbole to others, but it was like the feeling that a step was made
for humanity as a whole, and not just a group of people.

~~~
niftich
The onboard video camera is a powerful tool, because it allows us to witness
firsthand the seeming absurdity of the situation: you're so high up that the
Earth's curvature is very pronounced and you can see to the far edges of the
state, and yet you flip around, do some microcorrections, but largely fall
back down in what we'd commonly perceive to be an uncontrolled descent: and
yet you land perfectly on a small structure towed out into a spot in the
middle of the ocean.

Sure, we can use analogies to explain how extraordinary this feat is, or
visualizations, but seeing the actual video feed, let alone live (just ask
sport viewers why they have a stronger emotional response), as the vehicle is
shaking, the engine is still firing and nothing in particular seems to suggest
that a clean landing will follow -- and yet it does.

This is a great achievement but they've landed these before. But with the
landing shown live for the first time from the first stage, the innovation of
today is that they've communicated their incredible feat in a tangible way
that elicits a strong, visceral emotional response. I wouldn't be surprised if
years down the road, this _particular_ footage will be considered mandatory to
archive, being significant to human history the same way footage from the moon
was.

~~~
fooker
On the other hand, a somewhat significant number of people still believe that
the earth is flat!

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tmuir
Isn't it ironic that anyone who could successfully parse this headline without
looking up the individual components, probably already knew the information.
Conversely, to anyone not deeply interested in SpaceX, this headline appears
to be word salad from a stroke victim.

~~~
jedberg
Actually, I wasn't aware that was the name of the ship and was at first
confused, but the proper use of english capitalization rules was my first clue
it was a proper noun of some sort. :)

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vmorgulis
Landing is here:
[https://youtu.be/7WimRhydggo?t=2194](https://youtu.be/7WimRhydggo?t=2194)

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mdekkers
That's a very Banksian name for a Ship...

~~~
duskwuff
Intentional. The other ship is named Just Read The Instructions.

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RichardHeart
link to video?

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agildehaus
Hosted:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTmbSur4fcs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTmbSur4fcs)

Technical:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WimRhydggo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WimRhydggo)

