NASA isn't even trying to get people to Mars anymore

**The Stig** · 2016-01-17 15:35

THe music on that link...

Anyone got a source?! :D

**archibaldcrane** · 2016-01-17 16:01

Pic of wrecked rocket on barge

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/688837706005131264

**Waraji** · 2016-01-17 17:35

Minor disappointment. I hope these issues with the legs (which seem to have happened before?) have been rectified in the newer models. That particular model was the last of its kind though.

**archibaldcrane** · 2016-01-18 11:01

Oh man, the landing was perfect, fucking leg busted.

http://i.imgur.com/brXkwUl.gifv

**Salodin** · 2016-01-18 11:09

That leg bent like it was made in china, wtf lol.

**Thunder** · 2016-01-18 13:30

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

Oh man, the landing was perfect, fucking leg busted.

http://i.imgur.com/brXkwUl.gifv

directed by michael bay

**synistar** · 2016-01-18 13:42

The fact that it pretty much made the landing, this is a vast improvement over smashing laterally into the barge the past few water landing attempts. The failure is good progress.

**BaneTheBrawler** · 2016-01-18 13:59

Originally Posted by Salodin

That leg bent like it was made in china, wtf lol.

nah, it didn't bend. it didn't lock in the extended position so the moment any weight was applied there was nothing to prevent it from retracting. ive been seeing reports saying it was an ice buildup.

but i guess that's the last of that design so hopefully the next design will account for it better.

**Cantih** · 2016-01-18 18:38

Originally Posted by BaneTheBrawler

ive been seeing reports saying it was an ice buildup.

Guess they should have gone with gold-titanium alloy.

**Zzsark** · 2016-01-19 00:04

My buddy at SpaceX said Elon pretty much told everyone he didn't expect it to make the landing (days before they launched). Guess that's one way to get rid of old rockets.

**archibaldcrane** · 2016-01-19 00:32

They still got paid for the satellite launch, it's not like they are counting on booster stage recovery financially yet.

**zoobernut** · 2016-01-19 12:55

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

They still got paid for the satellite launch, it's not like they are counting on booster stage recovery financially yet.

That is what I was thinking of yesterday too. They probably cost out the launches the same as they used to be with the expectation that the rockets are not reusable. Once they can reliably recover and reuse the rockets then we might start to see launching satellites and supplies into orbit go down in cost.

**archibaldcrane** · 2016-01-19 14:01

Yeah. They're already the cheapest company per launch as is, so they don't have a ton of need to undercut their own prices.

**TummieGaruda** · 2016-01-20 14:12

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

Yeah. They're already the cheapest company per launch as is, so they don't have a ton of need to undercut their own prices.

I think Musk is quoted as saying that he did the math and figured out that the materials to build a rocket was 3% of the final launch price so they build 80-85% of the rockets in house. The cost for a Falcon 9 Launch currently is $61 million and can carry a payload of 28,990 lbs to low earth orbit. That works out to a little over $2000 per pound. Falcon Heavy interestingly enough is actually less per pound at about $780 (90 million and 117,000 lb payload).

**Jaybar** · 2016-01-24 12:36

So Blue Origin launched and landed their re-used booster rocket.

**Waraji** · 2016-01-24 17:41

Good for them, it's cute. Still, those captions towards the end are highly deceptive. As if they were trying to get anything into orbit with that kind of design.

Meanwhile at the big kids table.

**JamesGoblin** · 2016-02-11 06:38

I'm with the optimists in this one; And yes, I know it's likely much "wiser" both historically and statistically to be skeptical.

PS thanks @notorious bum for good laugh =) Still, I remain on the other side of the fence. And of course - thanks everyone else for quite interesting read!

**Waraji** · 2016-02-15 14:10

Wednesday, February 24th, 6-8 PM - Mark your calendars boys & girls.

SpaceX aims for drone ship landing after Feb. 24 Falcon 9 launch

No Landing attempt at Canaveral, and barge landing will be much tougher because of less fuel due to modified orbit trajectory.

**Jaybar** · 2016-02-15 14:28

On that note, Google invests US $1B in SpaceX

**Waraji** · 2016-02-15 14:36

Makes sense, Google has pretty big ideas/plans of expanding their internet services, and Elon Musk has shown that to be a main interest. Match made in Silicon Valley.