Automatic floating spaceport returns from the open sea

Automatic barge Drone Ship Marmac 300 arrives in port. On Saturday, it was made the first landing-stage rocket Falcon-9 private space company SpaceX. The rocket successfully launched cargo spaceship Dragon, who on Monday should dock with the International Space Station. But the landing of the first stage was tough.







On floating platforms tried to gently put the first stage of the rocket Falcon-9, but "pribarzhenie" was tough. The missile did not have time to fully repay the speed and crashed. According to a statement SpaceX founder Elon Musk, the cause of the accident was the exhaustion of hydraulic fluid in the control system latticed stabilizers. Here then there few additions.

The video is visible from the landfill operation of these stabilizers:



As it turned out, they are controlled by an open hydraulic system, ie after the working fluid is not returned in a closed cycle, and discharged into the atmosphere. This is to reduce the landing weight of the rocket stage. This time, they say, not enough liquid only 10%, and the next launch promises to fill a 50% increase. It is likely a new attempt to land on the floating spaceport will happen in January or February of this year.

Barge has dimensions of 100 by 60 meters, and getting into a "snout" in the ocean from a height of 60 km stage, which is designed to take off, not landing, deserves respect. A small crack on the platform indicates that the rate of decline was quite small missiles, so future soft landing with the return stage, looks quite realistic.

Learn more about planting scheme and purpose of the transaction, as well as answers to frequently asked questions written here .

The images difficult to see what is damaged elements of the buildings on the platform, and what was left of the rocket. Probably rocket generally fell overboard and sank, although some fragments, covered with a tarpaulin on deck to consider fails.



Источник Photo .

On Friday port camera recorded the process of withdrawal of the barge into the open sea:



And this is unloading some debris, apparently remnants steps:











It is hoped that SpaceX will publish a night video of a hard landing, and the circumstances become clearer.

That's how the landing would occur by users reddit



We will monitor developments.

FAQ Why not a parachute, and rocket engines? B>
A bunch of arguments:
a) Landing on the parachute does not provide softness. Who jumped - he knows. For example, when landing a spacecraft "Soyuz" by parachute at the last moment, at the surface of the earth rocket triggered brake motors. But while "union" is much smaller and lighter than the first stage Falcon-9, and is used once. Tried to put on parachutes side booster Space Shuttle, but even when landing by parachute in the water rocket experienced such shock that they had to sort out almost completely.
b) Sea fishing operation rocket blocks Space Shuttle was very unprofitable business. We mask even unmanned ship.
c) Salt water is also not beneficial to the materials of the engine. They say this is the main reason why it was chosen floating platform.
g) Parachutes not provide high precision landing. Today Musk confirmed that put a rocket on the snout 100x100 meters into the sea really. Parachute - is unrealistic.
d) SpaceX now, with the help of rocket engines and unspent fuel made splashdown softness that can compete with parachutes. Thus at the start of the fuel necessary to fill 15-20% more. According to engineers SpaceX is easier, and according to their accountants - cheaper than messing with parachutes and their recovery after the impact and water immersion.
e) Any desantiruemye military equipment, also experiencing high impact, though to them and hooked except parachutes, even braking rocket motors and damping platform. But tanks and jeeps, and then let the 30 meter aluminum pipe, it needs an order of magnitude higher sensitivity of planting, with a maximum weight savings.

How long can you use one and the same level, because the life of the engine does not make up? B>
The aim Mask - 10 flights. Example certification Soviet "RD-170" on the same flight 10, said that technically it's real. In real reusable flight they did not participate, but they were run on the stands on all flight modes. And do not forget about the engines Space Shuttle, which have been used more than 10 times.

Why put in the ocean? B>
Launch of Space Shuttle program is carried out by NASA, so start from Cape Canaveral, which is located on the Atlantic coast. His and built for that purpose, that all elements of the missiles fell into the water and did not pose a threat to people on the ground. SpaceX is now building a spaceport in Texas. They will receive authorization to use it when it was confirmed the reliability and security of its reusable technology in tests over the ocean.

Who pays for these tests? (Do not drank Does this cost money?) B>
The tests shall be paid by means of the company SpaceX, which consist of investment of personal funds Elon Musk and third-party investors. This launch is carried out in the interest of NASA, but the government agency pays for shipping cargo to the ISS. If the rocket stage silently fell into the ocean, the mask would have paid the same amount. By the same contract work competitors SpaceX - company Orbital Scienses.


Source: geektimes.ru/post/244077/