A private company has just landed a rocket from orbit on an ocean platform?

FREEEEEEEEEEE MARKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTT

[video="youtube;v2AC41dglnM"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM[/video]

Reply 1

Captain Haddock

18

Well it's not exactly brain surgery, is it.

Reply 2

TheNote

3

Video link (loud):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPGUQySBikQ&feature=youtu.be

[video="youtube;RPGUQySBikQ"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPGUQySBikQ&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Original post by Mathemagicien

Its very difficult nonetheless.

Probably more difficult for us at this moment in time.

This, like, really is completely amazing.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 4

DiddyDec01

3

Original post by Captain Haddock

Well it's not exactly brain surgery, is it.

Nah, just rocket science.

Reply 5

deta18dy

1

Very impressive its getting very close to reusable rockets.

Amazing.😊

I'm rarely impressed, but I must say I'm still not impressed

Spoiler

Reply 8

quasa

Entertainment Forum Helper

20

is space x musk's company? (ive forgotten and cant be asked researching).

on a semi-related topic, is it possible to create a vehicle which can escape orbital velocity using electric power? (im no physicist but just thought id ask the question at the risk of sounding stupid as I am intruiged). also, whilst on the subject, can someone explain how a scramjet works in laymans terms and is it possible to use it from 0mph or do you need to reach supersonic velocity for it to work?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 9

Rakas21

21

This is a great development that will further reduce the cost of space travel and bring space tourism that bit closer (also makes space mining potentially cheaper) however i still feel as if Skylon is the more groundbreaking bet for the future.

Reply 10

Laomedeia

21

Original post by Captain Haddock

Well it's not exactly brain surgery, is it.

Thats true, even I could land one of those things using nothing more than an inanimate carbon rod.

Reply 11

LibertyMan

OP

16

Original post by Foo.mp3

Brought to you by the same genius who will soon be irradiating entire continents from space :top:

Free markets ftw! :u:

********

Original post by quasa

is space x musk's company? (ive forgotten and cant be asked researching).

on a semi-related topic, is it possible to create a vehicle which can escape orbital velocity using electric power? (im no physicist but just thought id ask the question at the risk of sounding stupid as I am intruiged). also, whilst on the subject, can someone explain how a scramjet works in laymans terms and is it possible to use it from 0mph or do you need to reach supersonic velocity for it to work?

Electrical power itself doesn't create momentum, unlike an explosion. But you can use electricity to operate something that does generate momentum, e.g. a fan, or an electro-magnetic cannon. In both cases, you would need a huuuge initial push to accelerate the vehicle enough to reach orbital velocity and overcome all of the air friction it will face. It's not practical because materials can't handle that stress, nor can humans.

You can also use an ion drive, which needs electricty as a power source, but these have small accelerations and haven't been tested enough.

Never heard of a scramjet

Reply 12

quasa

Entertainment Forum Helper

20

Original post by LibertyMan

********

Electrical power itself doesn't create momentum, unlike an explosion. But you can use electricity to operate something that does generate momentum, e.g. a fan, or an electro-magnetic cannon. In both cases, you would need a huuuge initial push to accelerate the vehicle enough to reach orbital velocity and overcome all of the air friction it will face. It's not practical because materials can't handle that stress, nor can humans.

You can also use an ion drive, which needs electricty as a power source, but these have small accelerations and haven't been tested enough.

Never heard of a scramjet

ive heard something about thermonucelar pulse detonation for propulsion for space travel. obviously it uses nuclear fuel, which is dangerous, but how does it work and what are the advantages of it? (heard of it via scifi first, thank you anime, but also because nasa launched a rocket a few years ago using it)

Reply 13

LibertyMan

OP

16

Original post by quasa

ive heard something about thermonucelar pulse detonation for propulsion for space travel. obviously it uses nuclear fuel, which is dangerous, but how does it work and what are the advantages of it? (heard of it via scifi first, thank you anime, but also because nasa launched a rocket a few years ago using it)

Eh what's the point of me answering that, I'm not a technical expert :wink:

though Mr Musk got most of his knowledge of rocketry from a single book, so you could always find it to get a good flavour. Or play kerbal space program, probably more challenging :wink:

Reply 14

Joinedup

20

Original post by quasa

ive heard something about thermonucelar pulse detonation for propulsion for space travel. obviously it uses nuclear fuel, which is dangerous, but how does it work and what are the advantages of it? (heard of it via scifi first, thank you anime, but also because nasa launched a rocket a few years ago using it)

That was called project Orion, here you go...

Reply 15

Metrododo

13

Original post by Smack

Probably more difficult for us at this moment in time.

This, like, really is completely amazing.

It was a Mitchell and Webb look reference^

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 16

Joinedup

20

Original post by LibertyMan

FREEEEEEEEEEE MARKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTT

[video="youtube;v2AC41dglnM"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM[/video]

erm. SUUUUB SIIIIII DEEEEEZ

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html

technically It's a really cool achievement but let's not kid ourselves.

Reply 17

Rakas21

21

Original post by Foo.mp3

I **** you not, they're among a number of companies planning to beam Wi-Fi down from the heavens, messing up life on earth still more! :h:

The most ground breaking thing will be space mining i reckon. It essentially ends the notion of scarcity.

Musk though is a brilliant man (one of the few people i deem worthy of admiration) and it's probably worth saying that his $40k saloon just got orders to the value of $10bn. Tesla just struck gold if they can actually get the cars off the production line.

Reply 18

LibertyMan

OP

16

Original post by Foo.mp3

I **** you not, they're among a number of companies planning to beam Wi-Fi down from the heavens, messing up life on earth still more! :h:

I don't care :wink:

There is only so much we can do to preserve the Earth, and most of it will be trumped by natural processes (volcanic eruptions, solar flaires.)

The only way humanity can survive in the long term is by spreading out into space, and for that, we need to manage to colonise space successfully.

So I'm, personally, 100% behind Musk's efforts.

Original post by Joinedup

erm. SUUUUB SIIIIII DEEEEEZ

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html

technically It's a really cool achievement but let's not kid ourselves.

I don't think that's fair. First of all, the government profited from his cooperation (e.g. creating jobs whenever they helped his build factories). It's not like Musk works for the government; he initiated all of the contracts he wanted to do, as a private entity seeking to make profit. That's something you can only find in a country with a capitalist system. The possibility for a person to create a private empire at a scale that it negotiates with the government is what results from a free market culture.

He also had to wiggle through many existing government restrictions against his work; Tesla narrowly secured a right to sell without car marketing, which directly restricted the freedom of the market.