A Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corporation — SpaceX — was launched, quickly disappearing into a low cloud deck, with 5,500 pounds of supplies, experiments and other cargo headed to the International Space Station.
SpaceX was again able to recover the booster stage. As the second stage ignited to push the cargo capsule to orbit, the booster turned around back toward land. Eight minutes after it left the ground, it set down on a landing site a few miles away.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/science/spacex-launch-kennedy-space-center.html?_r=0
Awesome! :mrgreen:
Here is the really good part:
It shows that rockets can indeed be reusable. Everyone thought it couldn't be done, but Elon Musk and his team persevered and won!
I personally believe that the way forward in space exploration and colonization is through private industry. The Apollo landings were a fluke at a time when the public was enamored and determined to beat the Russians, but that enthusiasm quickly faded away. If we're going to build permanent colonies then there has to be a financial reason to do so- to go to another planet just for the sake of going there is no longer feasible. There has to be a pot of gold waiting for us, and that is through profit.
Columbus discovered the New World not because he just wanted to go exploring, but because he sensed there was profit in it. Instead of drill baby drill, we need to say, fly baby, fly!
About time. I have been keeping track of their failed efforts to do this. So I am happy they finally succeeded. Also that financial reason you are looking for? Natural Resources. The solar system is literally swimming in stuff we need and will need here.
.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/science/spacex-launch-kennedy-space-center.html?_r=0
Awesome! :mrgreen:
Here is the really good part:
It shows that rockets can indeed be reusable. Everyone thought it couldn't be done, but Elon Musk and his team persevered and won!
I personally believe that the way forward in space exploration and colonization is through private industry. The Apollo landings were a fluke at a time when the public was enamored and determined to beat the Russians, but that enthusiasm quickly faded away. If we're going to build permanent colonies then there has to be a financial reason to do so- to go to another planet just for the sake of going there is no longer feasible. There has to be a pot of gold waiting for us, and that is through profit.
Columbus discovered the New World not because he just wanted to go exploring, but because he sensed there was profit in it. Instead of drill baby drill, we need to say, fly baby, fly!
I completely agree. Researchers have said that Mars pretty much contains all the minerals found on Earth, so this will be a mining bonanza for future colonists (My newest book actually is about this hehe :mrgreen.
Unfortunately though, we will probably have to fight another war (I call it the future resource war) for anybody but idealistic Billionaires to care about it. Have you been watching the Expanse on Syfy? It's all about this really.
Oh I binged watched the first season in one weekend. I'm waiting til season 2 finishes so I can binge it too. Im so sick and tired of watching space operas like Trek and Wars, so The Expanse was a breath of fresh air when it came because of the realistic use of physics and science.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/science/spacex-launch-kennedy-space-center.html?_r=0
Awesome! :mrgreen:
Here is the really good part:
It shows that rockets can indeed be reusable. Everyone thought it couldn't be done, but Elon Musk and his team persevered and won!
I personally believe that the way forward in space exploration and colonization is through private industry. The Apollo landings were a fluke at a time when the public was enamored and determined to beat the Russians, but that enthusiasm quickly faded away. If we're going to build permanent colonies then there has to be a financial reason to do so- to go to another planet just for the sake of going there is no longer feasible. There has to be a pot of gold waiting for us, and that is through profit.
Columbus discovered the New World not because he just wanted to go exploring, but because he sensed there was profit in it. Instead of drill baby drill, we need to say, fly baby, fly!
I don't see how things don't end up exactly like on the show in the broad political and scientific ways in which they portray the future of colonization.
The Shuttle showed us that reusable spacecraft may not be as economical as we thought. So the rocket is recovered, what does it take to make it serviceable again? Particularly concerning the virtually-zero tolerance for failure that we have in space travel?
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