They’ve done it again, successful launch and recovery of used Stage 1, successful separation of used Dragon capsule.
[video]https://youtu.be/OPHbqY9LHCs[/video]

That first stage looked like it was coming back down way too fast. Amazing how it slowed down in the last few feet.

I’m staggered everytime I see this. Such smooth landings.

It really is impressive….. the first stage landing looked just like a Thunderbirds clip 🙂

I also think it makes the Virgin Galactic efforts look a bit lame. They’ve spent years trying to perfect a craft that can ‘nearly’ get into space and they still seem a long way off.

Blows my mind everytime i think about it.

Virgin Galactic efforts

or Burt Rutan’s efforts more accurately. Really cool at the time of X Prize competition but SpaceX and Blue Origin have done so much more. Meanwhile Big Rocket are still pushing large pork barrel SLS.

That is unbelievable! Better parking than me!

Also flipping impressed here!

pretty impressive, don’t really get why it need to land like that though, can they not just stick a big parachute in it and save all that fuel?

pretty impressive, don’t really get why it need to land like that though, can they not just stick a big parachute in it and save all that fuel?

Normally it has the fuel left anyway. A parachute would be less reliable and presumably result in it landed in the ocean – then you’ve got to refurb something that’s been dumped in salt water. Expensive.

The Russians parachute astronauts onto dry land.

Parachute wouldn’t be a soft landing – and you couldn’t do it on Mars, which is all part of the sci fi plan.

And the Russian landing ends with a retro rocket about 12 feet up

It’s obviously all fabrication. I mean, the Earth looks round in that video.

Murray – Member
and you couldn’t do it on Mars, which is all part of the sci fi plan.

fair doos!

quite simply stunning tech – I never thought they’d get that reliable, but the whole thing is simply brilliant

Amazingly impressive. What fell away around 19.18?

I’ve not watched it again but the nosecone cane off at some point.

Ah, OK, ta

Earth looks round

Nobody said it wasn’t round…..discs are round….

(Did occur to me though that private enterprise must be “in on the conspiracy” now….)

What happens to the 2nd stage?

Blue Origin also looks cool but they’re not getting to orbital velocity with the current vehicle.The next version New Glenn should though.
[video]https://youtu.be/CSDHM6iuogI[/video]

<flatEarth>The illusion of curvature is produced using the Distort tool in FinalCut</flatEarth>

2nd stage is throw away at the moment

How long before private enterprise can build a nuclear missile?. And then hold the world to ransom for 1 million dollars.

Well, SpaceX can launch and re-enter a large payload, so I guess it depends how much Kim Jong-un is charging for a warhead now.

Another video of the landing..

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI191lMGmMk[/video]

Why does it make me want to laugh when I watch it?

Thanks scotroutes, hadn’t seen it from that angle.

Why does it make me want to laugh when I watch it?

The ridiculousness of it compared to anything we’ve seen before – looks completely alien (see: natives and invisible conquistadors)

Science fiction come true- the spacex landing barges are named after Culture spaceships.

These friends of yours are ships.’

‘Yes,’ Chamlis said. ‘Both of them.’

‘What are they called?’

‘The Of Course I Still Love You and the Just Read The Instructions.’

‘They’re not warships?’

‘With names like that?’

But now that they’re reliably making tail landings they should repaint them like Tintin’s moon ship