Questions tagged [booster-flyback]
Questions regarding boosters returning to the launch site after separation
19
questions
4
votes
1
answer
270
views
Does a RTLS (Return To Launch Site) landing deposit more soot on the booster than a drone ship landing?
First, it performs an extra burn (the boostback burn). Does this burn make a credible source of extra soot? Second, sometimes it appears to have flown through the second stage's exhaust plume. Does ...
0
votes
1
answer
224
views
Why aren't clusters of F-15 or SR-71 engines used for a boost stage for rockets? [duplicate]
A cluster of say 8 F-15 or SR-71 engines in my mind could make a viable first stage for a small rocket. Second they can land the stage back to the ground and if my guess is right they could go to up ...
- 11
5
votes
2
answers
800
views
How many burns does New Shepard have during a descent?
The Falcon 9 first stage is making two or three burns for descending:
boostback burn (optional, depends on return to launch site vs ocean landing)
entry burn
landing burn
But how many burns is the ...
- 2,590
9
votes
1
answer
557
views
Does flying two boosters close together affect efficiency?
When returning the side boosters of the latest Falcon Heavy launch to their landing site, their trajectories keep them right next to each other, and I noticed that a "wall" of vapor is visible midway ...
- 1,405
19
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Why do rockets not glide back?
After stage separation, why do the rockets not glide back to Earth with wings?
Is retro propulsion a better idea than gliding rockets back to 'Earth'? Take Energia-II as an example:
Source: buran.ru
...
- 191
44
votes
3
answers
10k
views
Is a SpaceX launch completely automated?
Once the engines are ignited and liftoff occurs, are any operators/controllers on the ground making any manual changes to the flight? Or are they simply monitoring the entire event until the boosters ...
- 1,199
2
votes
0
answers
69
views
How do current reusable boosters create fuel pressure for retro-burn? [duplicate]
For the SpaceX launches of the Falcon9 and Falcon Heavy, and also Blue Origin launch vehicles, the booster stage lands with a controlled decent and firing of main engines for retro-thrust.
During ...
3
votes
1
answer
537
views
How do re-usable boosters handle re-entry damage? [duplicate]
Watching Falcon Heavy's side boosters land, I was amazed that they could withstand the stresses of re-entry yet still fire again for a (relatively) slow, smooth landing.
I see there are heat shields ...
- 215
10
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Could the solid boosters of SLS be replaced by reusable Falcon 9 first stages?
Is it feasible to redesign the Space Launch System to use a pair of reusable Falcon 9 first stages instead of the five-segment solid boosters now being developed? The reason would be to lower launch ...
- 26.9k
2
votes
1
answer
372
views
How much fuel remains in a booster such as the one used for Jason-3
Building off of this question, I am curious as to how much (just a simple magnitude of order) propellant remains inside a booster to cause such an explosion? Considering cost, I would expect very ...
- 2,911
9
votes
0
answers
377
views
Mathematics used for F9R flyback and landing [duplicate]
I was wondering if anyone may have useful links to the mathematics used by the F9R that allowed it to fly back to LZ-1 and land successfully. I'm hoping to find some papers that will give the broadest ...
- 401
8
votes
1
answer
793
views
Is it a problem that Falcon 9R landing legs are getting sizzling hot and catching flames during booster landing?
The videos of the test and live landings appear to show smoke and a few times flames coming from the landing legs. Will this be engineered out in later development or is it something else? Would it ...
- 81
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How rough was the redirecting, re-entry and landing of the first stage of the Falcon 9?
How big was the acceleration during the different phases after the stage separation? Would it be safe to land a human being that way? (at least taking only the g-forces into account, as I suppose ...
- 5,118
21
votes
2
answers
10k
views
How did the Falcon 9's 1st stage return back to Cape Canaveral?
SpaceX's original plan was landing the 1st stage to a landing ship, that waits far away from the launch site, and it was like this:
But tonight, the rocket's first stage landed at Cape Canaveral. ...
- 425
9
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Will we see the barge landing live during the SpaceX CRS-5 webcast?
I wonder if SpaceX will cover the barge lading of the Falcon 9 first stage live during the upcoming launch for the fifth SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station or not? NASA TV's CRS-5 ...
- 111
10
votes
2
answers
746
views
Through what mechanisms would SpaceX test and examine the returned CRS-5 first stage?
A significant minority of the users over at the /r/SpaceX Reddit community seem to be of the opinion that SpaceX will attempt to reuse the Falcon 9 CRS-5 first stage provided it lands on the downrange ...
- 8,841
15
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What is the value of the cross-track angle between the two designated CRS-4 first stage recovery zones?
For the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on its Dragon/CRS-4 cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station, according to Spaceflight 101, two downrange safety zones have been identified:
The SpX-...
- 76.4k
13
votes
5
answers
7k
views
How is SpaceX going to land their Falcon first stage?
SpaceX's attempt at a reusable first stage rocket sounds amazing, but how they're going to get it to land back on the launchpad is beyond me. Assuming that the first stage will separate with a speed ...
- 1,622
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Are the Falcon 9 landing legs aerodynamic surfaces as well?
With the CRS-3 (SpaceX-3) launch of a Falcon 9 v1.1 with a Dragon capsule to the ISS the F-9 will launch with landing legs for the first time.
Elon Musk Tweeted an image of the legs mounted on the ...
- 79.1k