Splash down....
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Wreckless Rat
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Splash down....
I still find it strangely odd that space travel has gone back to “splash downs” and that NASA have no viable way of getting people into space themselves.
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Mr. Dazzle
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Re: Splash down....
Water is nice and soft, so it makes the landing nice and simple. SpaceX will use vertical landing (like they do with the current Falcon boosters) on their next spacecraft.Wreckless Rat wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2020 7:53 am I still find it strangely odd that space travel has gone back to “splash downs” and that NASA have no viable way of getting people into space themselves.
As for NASA: They intentionally stepped back from LEO manned launches and invited the private sector to develop them instead as a way of saving money. NASA are developing their own manned systems for travel to infinity/the moon and beyond. It makes sense from a cost point of view.
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ZRX61
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Re: Splash down....
All this technology & the footage from the recovery ship was apparently filmed with a potato..
Those who possess real knowledge are rare.
Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.
The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.
Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.
The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.
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Yambo
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Re: Splash down....
I watched the splashdown but didn't hang around for the recovery lift. I suspect the ship was a couple of miles off, using a big zoom and with the heat coming off the water it caused a fair bit of disruption to the view. As you magnify an object with lenses you magnify the error as well.
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Bigjawa
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Re: Splash down....
Space X are just a space bus service, the real sexy stuff is the SLS that NASA developed themselves.Wreckless Rat wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2020 7:53 am I still find it strangely odd that space travel has gone back to “splash downs” and that NASA have no viable way of getting people into space themselves.
"Does this bus go to the Titanic?"
"No missus, It's a submarine you need....."
"No missus, It's a submarine you need....."
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Mr. Dazzle
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Re: Splash down....
Although even that is under question now...
Falcon 9 has slashed the cost of launch massively. The next gen vehicle they're developing at the moment (starship) will be be able to launch much heavier loads and will be fully reusable. At the moment only the first stage of Falcon 9 is reusable.
That brings into question the need for and validity of SLS. Lots of people, including those inside NASA, are asking why they need a big huge launch system when SpaceX can launch for a fraction of the cost. You can 'just' launch multiple commercial flights.
Its not even like you're losing skills from the US to do it, SpaceX operate out of California.