back to article HOT HOVERSHIP-ON-HOVERSHIP ACTION: SpaceX ready for barge boing

SpaceX will be launching a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station this evening. It will be the seventeeth Falcon 9 launch - and SpaceX are attempting to land the first stage in a controlled vertical descent to a floating platform once again. Were the rockets – typically jettisoned once the primary stage of …

  1. Adair Silver badge

    It's important...

    to keep a sense of humour about things like this.

    1. Anonymous Custard

      Re: It's important...

      Well the landing barge is named "Just Read The Instructions" and the next one is to be named "Of Course I Still Love You".

      Both in honour of Iain M Banks of course, but it does show that someone there has a sense of humour (and good taste in reading material).

      Plus if I remember correctly the Falcon rockets were named after the Millenium Falcon, and the Dragons after Puff the Magic Dragon. The latter would certainly count as humorous.

  2. why-can-i-not-just-use-my-real-name

    within 10m .... come on Reg, would that be minutes? miles? metres? millions of olympic-sized swimming pools? millions of light-years? mountains of shredded london buses laid end-to-end?

    1. Danny 14

      10 muppets surely. Medium sized muppets, not the large ones mind.

    2. Alister

      within 10m .... come on Reg, would that be minutes? miles? metres?

      The SI unit of length is the metre, denoted by the symbol "m".

      HTH, HAND.

      1. SteveK

        The SI unit of length is the metre, denoted by the symbol "m".

        Yes, but since when has The Register bothered with such convention?

        Personally, since it's a sea landing, I'd suggest it stands for 10 manatees.

        1. Graham Marsden
          Thumb Up

          @SteveK

          Better than 10 Moby Dicks...

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          > 10 manatees

          or 10 'mericans (which has the equivalent blubber content)

  3. Bob Dole (tm)

    SpaceX is seriously cool

    I absolutely wish them complete and total success.

    Landing a rocket on a moving platform is an incredible feat that would be the icing on their space cake.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

      Well they're obviously doing something right, with 16 Falcon 9 launches in 4 years so far, and 10 more this year. Looks like things are on the up-and-up.

      It would be great if they could do "the impossible", and land a rocket after use. Even more impressive to do it on a barge at sea.

      I also look forward to seeing them get a manned capsule working.

      This is truly exciting. Space has been a bit of a dead-end since the early days of the shuttles. Sure there were always lots of interesting things going on, but we always seemed to be just refining stuff we'd already done, or doing it in different combinations. But mostly using the same basic technology.

      But for the last 5-10 years we've had a bumper crop of unmanned space probes, doing all sorts of exciting and difficult things. Trundling round Mars and landing on comets.

      And now we seem to have progress in launcher technology again. Not only are SpaceX (and others) making it much cheaper - but every time they launch, they're trying something new - or running tests to allow them to on the next launch.

      And they're doing it with a sense of proportion, and a sense of humour. So they can say mission accomplished, when they get the payload to the ISS - and still say KABOOM when the rocket doesn't quite manage to land on the platform after doing so.

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

        Oh, and another exciting thing. One of the Bigelow inflatable habitats is being / has been sent up to the ISS. So we now have the prospect of much cheaper living space - which means cheaper space science, and another step closer to commercial manned use of space. Eventually leading to space hotels, space hookers, space nookie and space cops with laser guns...

        1. x 7

          Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

          "space hotels, space hookers, space nookie "

          Someone needs to commercialise velcro socks, footboards and headboards first

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
            Paris Hilton

            Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

            "Someone needs to commercialise velcro socks, footboards and headboards first"

            I can think of a few positions that ought to work ok in micro-gravity without Velcro or straps. The "tree" position for starters. And you don't need to be so fit if you don't have to hold the weight of your partner. Maybe you need to experiment more often if you can't come up with creative solutions without artificial aids. Maybe you can get a research grant?

            Paris...because...wel it's bloody obvious, innit.

          2. Captain DaFt

            Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

            "Someone needs to commercialise velcro socks, footboards and headboards first"

            Well, the habitat is inflatable, so it's like a zero-G bouncy castle, so just keep a grip on your partner(s), hump away, and enjoy the ride! (boingy boingy bonk)

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

          The fun is back. And I'd bet that's on both sides, watchers and doers.

      2. AdamT

        Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

        All very, very true. But there is a rather good interview (find it on YouTube) with Elon and his brother (who was a big investor in SpaceX too) where the brother says that the results of first few tests - which all ended in, errr, well, I believe Rapid Unscheduled Dissassembly is the current phrase - were almost cool enough to warrent the expenditure in their own right. And the expression on Elon's face suggests that he didn't quite see it that way ...

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

        It got boring because the shuttles were manned so things had to be done more carefully. Then one exploded and things had to be done even more carefully. Then ... well, the Shuttle became a dead (sic) end.

        It's the Astronauts fault really, as they wanted control - they didn't want to be "Spam in a Can".

        1. MrXavia

          Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

          not really, if I remember what I read correctly, it was the fault of the military, they wanted cross range so that forced the shuttle design on NASA if they wanted the funding..

          It is a shame really, the latest ideas from NASA seem to be a natural progression from Apollo...

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

            The US military still have their "shuttle" in service.

        2. Dan Paul

          Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

          The fact that Astronauts wanted control has been an issue since the Redstone boosters. They are PILOTS not monkeys.

          The Apollo Moon project actually benefitted from manual control on a couple of occasions as the automatic systems could not handle the rock field that the LEM was going to land in and they had to go to manual control. Docking the LEM to the main Apollo module was frequently done manually.

          Later the shuttle had to be flown on manual control for landings several times due to weather.

          If any of you remember, the shuttle only exploded because the O Ring seal on one of the solid fuel booster rockets failed, not because of manual pilot intervention.

          However, those who know the sequence of events that day will say that a certain president was more concerned about a photo opportunity than safety and forced the launch when several engineers were dead set against it.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

            My point was not that men are bad pilots, but the fact that the Shuttle was manned meant that risks could not be taken to develop it, so it was not developed, so it was a dead end.

            1. x 7

              Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

              "the Shuttle.........was a dead end"

              slightly unfortunate turn of phrase there.

            2. Dan Paul

              Re: SpaceX is seriously cool @Bahboh

              Neither was mine, the shuttle was "developed" as far as the "flying bathtub" 1960's design could go. The Military version (XB-37) is completely unmanned but aparently has room for a passenger. Go figure...but it is not a dead end, just a waypoint on the journey. There will be more shuttles.

              The reason why the "Commercial" shuttle even has a cargo bay that size is due to the fact that the standard Poseidon ICBM on a US nuclear sub just fits in it. This was an offshoot of the "Starwars" program and I actually saw the "rack" for those missles already designed in CAD when I took my first CAD class at Bell Aerospace. The military influences many such designs.

              However, there is no appreciable reason why a "rocket plane" design like the X15 or the SR-71 Blackbird could not work as a shuttle if the correct engines were utilized. All you need is the Time, Money and Will.

              The problem is that there is no momentum to design anything like that until we have another world war.

              1. x 7

                Re: SpaceX is seriously cool @Bahboh

                "there is no appreciable reason why a "rocket plane" design like the X15 or the SR-71 Blackbird could not work as a shuttle if the correct engines were utilized. "

                WTF are you talking about? The SR-71 was an air-breathing jet (admittedly it used exotic synthetic fuel). It wouldn't have a hope of working like a shuttle. Air breathing, not enough power, not enough fuel capacity, no re-entry protection, not strong enough, no payload.....I could go on and on. Basically you're talking rubbish. As for the X-15....all the above problems and more but worse (except for air breathing).

                If you want a more detailed riposte go and ask your question on the PPRUNE forum and see how long you last

                Personally I think you're a 13-year old kid without a clue

      4. Vulch

        Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

        Well they're obviously doing something right, with 16 Falcon 9 launches in 4 years so far, and 10 more this year.

        10 more scheduled, there's bound to be slippage on some of them unfortunately. On the other hand the two launch abort tests for the crew Dragon and the Falcon Heavy demo flight don't appear to be included in that count.

        Lockheed and Boeing are also now talking about their ULA Atlas and Delta replacement heading towards reusability, although also going for the FUD about how many times a stage needs to fly before it's cheaper to reuse than expend. Interestingly they've got a press conference due half an hour before the Falcon launch...

        1. Crazy Operations Guy

          Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

          "how many times a stage needs to fly before it's cheaper to reuse than expend. "

          I would say that the answer is 2... Or will be once it becomes the norm. Although I would love to see them be able to do it with the possibility of all stages being able to land softly (apart or together) so that once you hit lift-off, you are no longer forced into one of two results : Launch goes perfectly or something goes wrong and you have to go recruit a couple more astronauts...

          1. James Cane

            Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

            It'll be more than two. You have to factor in the R&D costs, which are massive.

      5. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

        "I also look forward to seeing them get a manned capsule working."

        Isn't it already effectively man-ready but it's just that it has to be "proven" with multiple un-manned successful uses first? Then again, they've not tried landing one yet. Or have they? Wow! There's so much exciting stuff going on with space stuff these days I'm losing track of it all!

        1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

          Re: SpaceX is seriously cool

          Isn't it already effectively man-ready but it's just that it has to be "proven" with multiple un-manned successful uses first?

          John Brown (no body),

          No. The SpaceX Dragon capsule isn't man rated. And I don't think it ever could be. It's just designed to get the dinner up to the ISS. Only half the capsule is even pressurised and heated.

          The one they showed at the end of last year is the Dragon 2. Perhpas they should have called it Double Dragon...

          Anyway there are several things that you need to do to get man-rating. You need extra redundencies built in. I believe the Falcon rocket (and ESA's Arianne) meet the requirements, not sure if either have bothered with the paperwork yet. You also need a history of successful launches, which Falcon has obviously done pretty well at building.

          Next you need an escape tower, to get the capsule away from the launchpad in case of a pad fire. SpaceX aren't proposing to have one of these. As the Dragon2 will have fast-start multi-use engines for driving around in space and for landing, they propose to use those instead. So that will save a bit of cash, and should be no less safe.

          Obviously they'll have to build the Dragon2 and do some test orbits, to prove it's safe. And then get it man-rated. And then prove it can safely dock with the ISS. And then prove that it can survive in orbit for a decent length of time (I think 6 months is what Soyuz is rated for), as the ISS team who use it to get up there keep it as a lifeboat (and to go home in).

          The Dragon2 is also supposed to be re-usable, and lands on engine power on land, rather than parachuting into the water. And it's also designed to be able to land on the Moon or Mars. If it all works as planned, it'll be a very capable space exploration workhorse. Elon Musk does not lack ambition. But then he also seems to keep meeting the engineering tests he sets himself. It's deeply impressive.

          In 5-10 years time he's looking to have his own space base in Texas, the Falcon 9 re-usable booster to get to the ISS and launch satellites, plus the Falcon Heavy, which will be almost as big as a Saturn V - and so could launch flights to the Moon - or new ISS or Mars-ship modules. Falcon Heavy will be made up of several Falcon 9s, and will almost all be able to land back at Texas after launch to be reused. Except the ones that go further, which he plans to land on his barges (and also re-use. Plus he'll have a re-usable man-rated capsule that can land at Texas too, and so doesn't get all contaminated with horrible seawater, and has the ability to be launched direct to the Moon, and be it's own lunar lander too. Plus you could use Falcon Heavy to launch bits of a ship to go to Mars (or an asteroid), assemble them in orbit, and send some Dragon capsules along to use as the shuttles.

  4. Fatman

    Third time "a charm"?

    One could only hope.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Plan B

    Slap a load of bad ass hydro-jets to the platform and get this into place...pronto!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Solo Hovership action, shurely ?

    I appreciate your dodgy headlines, really I do.

    But this one is grossly inaccurate to the tune of one hovership.

  7. Gene Cash Silver badge
    Flame

    Dragon at KSC-VC

    FYI, one of the ex-ISS Dragons is at the Kennedy Space Center visitor's center, next to the "space shop" for a limited time, next to the Orion capsule & Dreamchaser mockups.

    I'm hoping the weather stays clear until 4:30 so I can see things. The last attempt was at night, so I got to see the huge plume of the stage reignition.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Close but no cigar

    was his description of the first attempt on the barge, not the 'soft' landing at sea that came after

  9. x 7

    aborted at T - 00:03:07 due to heavy "anvil" clouds

    retrying at 04:10:42 EST tomorrow

    just as I thought the video was getting interesting....

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      0910 UK time. I suspect a lot of people here will not be doing much work other than getting a coffee at work in the morning :-)

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        "0910 UK time."

        Correction: 2110 UK time, 16:10 US ET

        Updated countdown here.

        1. x 7

          sorry, my mistake - I assumed he was using a 24-hour clock when announcing the reschedule. He didn't mention AM/PM

    2. DropBear

      It seems I have to get into the habit of "DVR-watching" space exploration too - apparently staying civil when something gets postponed for the umpteenth time is not my strong suit. Thanks for the info though, I was looking for that but their site just hangs at 0:0:0:0 for now...

  10. x 7

    "Anvil clouds....."

    I never thought of it before, but in reality Florida must be a really stupid place to launch from. Whenever I've been there (admittedly much further north than Canaveral) theres been a better than even chance of a thunderstorm mid-afternoon. Must be really frustrating for all involved

    1. Basic

      It's about as close as you can get to the equator while in the USA and is surrounded by water for those "no cigar" moments...

  11. Mark 85

    When they first built it, it was also out in the middle of no where... swampland and beaches... just in case. Didn't take long to become a major employer and a vacation destination.

  12. CarbonLifeForm

    I'm disappointed the word boffin was nowhere to be found in this article.

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