This (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5I8jaMsHYk) is the coolest thing I think I have ever seen - synchronised landing.
Fast-forward to about 1:40 to see the magic.
It's like something out of Thunderbirds. And it's finally really happening.
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
Good heavens! Really?
This is amazing to see, I remember how sceptical people were of Elon Musk's plans when he first started talking about commercial space travel and yet here we are, on the cusp of something potentially huge.
Brought a tear to the eye, quite literally. :o
I saw it as well and was well impressed. The man is a philanthropist in the truest sense of the word who has proven beyond reasonable doubt that working for the good of humanity is not an alien concept but is an achievable option. I greatly admire him for who he is and what he is doing for the planet.
Brought a fist pump and a "yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!" here :)
As did the launch, tbh :)
Bloody awesome!
Mars orbit 200 years from now...
Captain: 'What the hell was that!'
Bridge: 'Evasive manoeuvres, we just got cut up by a w*nker in a red roadster'
It was amazing, the hairs on the back of my neck was on end!
Thank Fnord it wasn't an Audi ;)
Quote from: toxicpixie on 07 February 2018, 03:01:35 PM
Thank Fnord it wasn't an Audi ;)
I drive an Audi and glad off it.
I'm sure they're pleasant to be in ;)
I trust you're the Audi exception that proves the rule!
I can't comment I drive a BMW....
White with red leather interior (what was I my wife thinking #-o)
Quote from: Matt J on 07 February 2018, 04:55:13 PM
I can't comment I drive a BMW....
White with red leather interior (what was I my wife thinking #-o)
Ah ha, the other culprit :D
I suspect she was thinking she wa sin "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", driving the great white shark...
Me and my wife both have an opel. After miniatures there was not enough left for audi's :d
Amazing, indeed. Initially the news was that the third rocket landing (which was designed to land on a barge or ship) had failed. Any further info on that? In the meantime here are 5 landings, one of which demonstrates how much harder it is to land on a vessel at sea!
Quote from: Westmarcher on 07 February 2018, 08:50:07 PM
Amazing, indeed. Initially the news was that the third rocket landing (which was designed to land on a barge or ship) had failed. Any further info on that?
From the BBC website:
"The third booster was due to settle on a drone ship stationed several hundred kilometres out at sea. Unfortunately, it was unable to slow its descent by re-igniting sufficient engines, missed the target vessel and was destroyed as it hit the water at some 500km/h."
Imagine if that had been one of the ones landing back at the Cape. 500km/h straight into the ground? That would have caused some major damage.
Outstanding!
It's the way we imagined rockets landing in the 1950's.
Somewhere Robert Heinlein is doing fist pumps!
Quote from: petercooman on 07 February 2018, 07:54:30 PM
Me and my wife both have an opel. After miniatures there was not enough left for audi's :d
My grandad drove an Opel for many years! Fine car :D
Mine are usually more akin to that third rocket, mind...
There's a good short story about Proxmire funding time travel so he can go give Heinleinn a shot of vaccine to prevent his TB, stay in the Navy and not write sci-fi thus not inspiring generations of engineers and scientists to reach for the stars. It backfires. The Navy runs the space program instead. NUCLEAR SPACE BATTLESHIPS AJOY!
The third booster, the centre section, did not slow down enough, only 1 of 3 engines fired off, it hit the sea at 300 mph and destroyed 2 of the drone barge's engines, according to Elon Musk (there's a YouTube video of his reaction). He commented that, if the impact hadn't also destroyed the cameras, that would be a great video to see too... :o
I love this guy ;D
Quote from: toxicpixie on 07 February 2018, 11:58:17 PM
My grandad drove an Opel for many years! Fine car :D
Grandad! I feel old! The first car that my wife and I bought together (not a family hand-me-down) was a 1971 Opel Kadett staionwagon. :)
I couldn't lay my hands on it but I think there was a tribute anthology put together after Heinlein's death in which he figured as a character in each story. IIRC, most postulated an illustrious naval career (both water and space).
If it helps that car would be marginally older than I am, assuming it hasn't been recycled into steak knives and containers ;)