"dont ever try to do rocketry better than the russians did since the 60s! its compltely pointless! there can be no improvements!"
Warm seawater is very corrosive - and it's a scientific fact that doesn't depend on your worldview
That's why Boeing's Starliner spaceship potentially has it easier in the terms of re-usability - because it's designed to soft-land on land, and not splash down. SpaceX, as usual, does it a little bit differently, although it's not entirely their fault - NASA just didn't feel comfortable with fully powered landing. Why did they decide to go all the way back and splash down is beyond me; probably, being short on cash and tech, and not feeling they'd convince NASA that they can do a rocket-assisted landing on land anyway.
Russians actually did land some spacecraft on water - the BOR series of reuseable test vehicles, in the Indian ocean, back in the 70s (and I don't know the reason for that, must check and ask people in the know), but the actual vehicle (that later became the Buran) was of course designed to land on a runway.
because there could never be a material that is impervious to seawater?
It's mostly seals, electronics, sensors, some Al and Al-Mg parts. Some composites don't like water as well, and do unpredictable things. I'd say it's easier to land on land than bother with water-proofing (which is weight, complexity, and more seals :V). Why solve the problem when you can work around it?
Why solve the problem when you can work around it?
because the extra stuff and control for soft landing may is more effort than solving the (mostly materials science) problems with water landing.
a salt proof seal is also less moving parts than a fine-tuned softland rocket control system :V
because the extra stuff and control for soft landing may is more effort than solving the (mostly materials science) problems with water landing. a salt proof seal is also less moving parts than a fine-tuned softland rocket control system :V
/me is not talking about the outside.
You open the hatch, the fine water mist enters the capsule, and starts condensing in all the places Why even bother? SpaceX wanted a proper soft landing on the solid ground anyway.
You open the hatch, the fine water mist enters the capsule, and starts condensing in all the places Why even bother? SpaceX wanted a proper soft landing on the solid ground anyway.
and i wasnt talking about capsules, though
i was talking about first and second stage ish stuff
well, it maybe isnt. but its not a completely clear-cut thing as soft landing isnt a trivial endeavour either.
Nothing about space is clear-cut. But soft-landing on the ground, right at the site where post-landing assessment and maintenance would be performed, seems like an optimal solution - one that reduces time and transportation costs. Water landings have a whole host of stupid problems associated with recovery, transportation, and refurbishment of the flown vehicle / stage. It's not enough to just blow some nitrogen through the engine and call it a day - even in the water-proof design all the components would have to be expected and verified as undamaged just in case (NASA would demand that for sure).
I'd say, there's a strong case to go for soft-landing on land for reusable vehicles.
Re: Rocket Lunches
Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 6:36 am
by Cody
The Falcon Heavy should lift at 18:30 Zulu - here's the payload:
Re: Rocket Lunches
Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:01 pm
by Talvieno
Less than an hour from now! Much excitement. Hoping for a success but I expect something to go wrong, honestly... probably not explosively. I think they'll get it into space all right. I just don't think the whole thing is going to work quite as intended.
Re: Rocket Lunches
Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:19 pm
by Cody
<nods> Maiden flights can be tricky!
I can't help but wonder what a future alien, visiting the Solar System long after all trace of mankind has disappeared, would make of a cherry-red Tesla Roadster driven by a spacesuited dummy floating somewhere between Earth and Mars.
Re: Rocket Lunches
Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:15 pm
by Silverware
Well... that was a successful launch of a spacecar.