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The Dragon capsule creates quite a splash

flux_29

flux_29

Commodore
Commodore
The internet and space entrepreneur Elon Musk must have the biggest grin in the world right now, and who could blame him.

Not only has he seen his big rocket, the Falcon 9, work straight out of the box and complete two successful launches, but his space capsule, Dragon, has also now made an impressive debut.

After all the brickbats he's had thrown in his direction from the naysayers on Capitol Hill in recent months, it must be the sweetest feeling. Wednesday's first demonstration of Dragon appeared to go like a dream.

Musk's company, SpaceX, launched the spacecraft from Florida into low-Earth orbit atop the Falcon at 1043 EST (1543 GMT).

The capsule separated as expected at an altitude of 300km and then circled the Earth at speeds greater than 27,000km/h, before executing a re-entry.

Drogue chutes then opened on cue to slow the fall still further, followed by the deployment of the main chutes.
The splashdown occurred in the Pacific, west of Mexico a little after 1400 EST (1900). Early data suggests the capsule came down within about 800m of the notional pin-point target.

This is the first time a privately developed spacecraft has been recovered safely on its return from low-Earth orbit. It is a feat achieved previously only by big government agencies.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jonathanamos/2010/12/the-dragon-capsule-creates-qui.shtml
 
it's not like it's VERY old...

The flight was in December, and much of the data is being released just now.


but sojourner likes to rain on a parade every now and again... ;)
 
Falcon heavy is certainly making the rounds:
http://www.spacenews.com/venture_space/110405-spacex-launch-falcon-heavy.html
http://www.space-travel.com/reports/SpaceX_Antes_Up_With_Falcon_Heavy_999.html
http://www.space.com/11311-spacex-huge-private-rocket-moon-mars.html
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/04/spacex-falcon-heavy-tag-team-share-20-launches-year/
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24715.90
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24711.0
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24715.0

Perhaps a mission to this object would be a good test payload. http://www.space.com/11310-huge-asteroid-2005-yu55-passing-earth-november.html
If he goes for an outsized Bigelow construct--that really would be the first true private space venture outside of comsats.

Other thoughts here:
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread...y-and-propellant-depots?p=1874017#post1874017
Of topic--a little sad
http://www.universetoday.com/84636/cartoon-commemorates-shuttle-program/
 
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I am a big fan of these new space start ups.

I feel that Elon Musk fully plans to retire on Mars ^^
 
No, I don't have a blog. In fact, I never bought a cell phone. Ever.

I'm a retro-technocrat.

I surf the web, but do it at the library only.

What really strikes me as sad is the fact is that in the 1950s (and before), we saw simple--fictional--finned rocketships, but they were single-stage-to-anywhere. But the computers were bulky.

Well, today we have all sorts of useless consumer tech filling our landfills and we have small computers, but no SSTO. Ugh. That's the laws of physics for you.

If only we could "trade futures" in that respect. In fact, here is an article about just that subject:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13041326
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/10/03/soviet-cities-on-the-moon/

Some ideas I had for beamed energy propulsion at Baut
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread...r-by-a-supermassive-BH!?p=1878208#post1878208

New book
http://www.universetoday.com/84900/nasa-space-shuttle-owners-workshop-manual-book-review/

Chinese HLLV
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-03/03/c_13759948.htm


More on Musk. He is taking on EELV, and--as Charlie Sheen says--winning.
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread...y-and-propellant-depots?p=1878185#post1878185
 
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publiusr said:
What really strikes me as sad is the fact is that in the 1950s (and before), we saw simple--fictional--finned rocketships, but they were single-stage-to-anywhere. But the computers were bulky.
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I think you mean single-stage-to-15000-ft ;) since they didn't work very well ;)
 
I meant all the hokey Rocky Jones fare. The Orbit Jet looks less advanced than Blackstar, Brilliant Buzzard and TSTO concepts like Gryphon. But (on screen) it could go anywhere in the cosmos. No staging, no airbreathing, no refueling! Not possible of course...outside of NSWR at least.

But if it were, for the sake of arguement, wouldn't you gladly wear a shirt with a lightning bolt on the chest, even if it meant giving up your iPHONE to fly anywhere in the universe in convieniant, 30 min episodes? Sign me up.

The future is all virtual--no reality.

Forget Johnny Mnemonic, I want Captain Proton.
 
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