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SpaceX Rocket Launch Succeeds, But Landing Test Doesn't
New submitter 0x2A writes: A Falcon 9 rocket built by SpaceX successfully launched a Dragon cargo ship toward the International Space Station early Saturday— and then returned to Earth, apparently impacting its target ocean platform during a landing test in the Atlantic.
"Rocket made it to drone spaceport ship, but landed hard. Close, but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho," Elon Musk tweeted shortly after the launch. He added that they didn't get good video of the landing attempt, so they'll be piecing it together using telemetry and debris. "Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment on the deck will need to be replaced."
"Rocket made it to drone spaceport ship, but landed hard. Close, but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho," Elon Musk tweeted shortly after the launch. He added that they didn't get good video of the landing attempt, so they'll be piecing it together using telemetry and debris. "Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment on the deck will need to be replaced."
About 10 minutes and 15 or 20 seconds after the launch, a camera was showing the backs of some solar panels of the Dragon. At that time, it looked like something floated to the upper left, and then floated out of view. The thing was light-colored, and it looked like it was tumbling. Does anyone know what that was? A piece of paper?
Adds a *lot* of extra drag and parasitic mass on the ascent. Still, the Russians planned to do that with the Baikal flyback booster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikal_%28rocket_booster%29. They may decide to revive it, given the apparent progress SpaceX is making...