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SpaceX Signs Lease Agreement With Air Force For Landing Pad
PaisteUser writes Space News reports that SpaceX has signed a historic agreement to allow construction of a landing pad for Falcon 9 booster stages. From the article: "The U.S. Air Force announced Feb. 10 that SpaceX has signed a five-year lease for Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 13, which was used to launch Atlas rockets and missiles between 1956 and 1978. In its new role, it will serve as a landing pad for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy booster cores launched from Florida, the Air Force said. Financial terms of the lease were not disclosed." Patrick Air Force Base also provides the documentation used for the environmental impact study which details out how the landing pad will be constructed.
Or they are producing news worthy material at a pace much quicker than most other companies...
Seriously, why would SpaceX give a shit about promotion on Slashdot? It's not like any of us schmucks will buy a rocket.
Seriously, why would SpaceX give a shit about promotion on Slashdot?
Don't worry - the AC is just upset that Musk and Co. are building the future whist he merely spends his life complaining about things in front of his terminal.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Did you miss the part where it's already a launch complex? I.e. an isolated place designed for big-ass rockets packed to the gills with fuel to take off from? A landing accident would be much less of an issue than an accident during launch, and they've already demonstrated their ability to get the rocket to the bulls-eye once, despite severe mechanical problems. The fact that it crashed instead of landing is irrelevant to the safety of the distant population. Presumably by the time they've mastered actually landing at sea they will have a long run of "managed to hit the landing pad" under their belt.
Besides, it's not like they're planning to land them there today, and they're going to need lead time to actually design and build a suitable landing pad, etc. so that it's ready by the time the rockets are. It's not like you can just have FedEx deliver a landing pad overnight.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
There are two scenarios in question. The first is where there is sufficient fuel to return. In such a case, it simply returns straight to the (new) pad. The second scenario, where there's insufficient fuel, still involves a barge. Once on the barge, the rocket isn't overhauled, just simply inspected, partially refueled and then relaunched back to the main pad where it can undergo proper maintenance and prep for its next flight.
The goal is to eventually land upper stages as well. They are intended to complete an Earth orbit before reentering and landing at the launch site.
One step at a time...
"That girl is a witch!" "Yeah, but she's our witch. So cut her the hell down!"
To put it another way... the first stage has a dry mass of 18 tonnes but carries 385 tonnes of fuel, a 95 tonne second stage, and payload up to 13 tonnes. Hence for a given amount of propellant, the return leg of the journey right before flame out gets up to 27.4 times more delta-V. It makes it very easy to reverse your momentum. And of course, you don't need to reverse all your delta-V - for example, that spent achieving altitude or lost to air resistance. In fact, that spent achieving altitude actually helps you get back.
"That girl is a witch!" "Yeah, but she's our witch. So cut her the hell down!"