Musk's SpaceX Successfully Lands Rocket Back at California Base

[Cow Poke]

Musk's SpaceX Successfully Lands Rocket Back at California Base

SpaceX-1047301226a.jpg

[Sparko]

cool.

[Cow Poke]

cool.

I love it that, even without huge government funding, this stuff goes on!

[Leonhard]

I love it that, even without huge government funding, this stuff goes on!

Actually SpaceX is mostly funded by NASA. But I do think SpaceX is making impressive use of that money. Next year they'll be launching astronauts. And they're working on their next and much larger Raptor rocket.

They call it the BFG. Big... uh... Falcon... Big Falcon Rocket.

[JonathanL]

I initially read the title as "Musk's SpaceX Successfully Launches Rocket Back at California Base" and started to wonder which person Musk had decided to get into a spat with this time.

[Cow Poke]

They call it the BFG. Big... uh... Falcon... Big Falcon Rocket.

Kinda like the military referred to the B-52 Stratofortress as the "Big Ugly.. um.. FAT Fellow". "yes:

[Jedidiah]

Actually SpaceX is mostly funded by NASA. But I do think SpaceX is making impressive use of that money. Next year they'll be launching astronauts. And they're working on their next and much larger Raptor rocket.

They call it the BFG. Big... uh... Falcon... Big Falcon Rocket.

I like BFG = Big Friendly Giant, after, "The BFG"; by Roald Dahl.

[One Bad Pig]

Actually SpaceX is mostly funded by NASA. But I do think SpaceX is making impressive use of that money. Next year they'll be launching astronauts. And they're working on their next and much larger Raptor rocket.

They call it the BFG. Big... uh... Falcon... Big Falcon Rocket.

I'm pretty sure it would still look rather ...inadequate next to a Saturn V.

[Leonhard]

I'm pretty sure it would still look rather ...inadequate next to a Saturn V.

It can carry three times the load of the Saturn V in expendable mode, but unlike the Saturn V its designed to be reusable. And in that mode it can lift 20% more into orbit compared to the Saturn V. It has to use the surpluss fuel to land the stages with.

Its about as tall, but a lot thicker. Its a lot heavier and its combined thrust is a lot greater.

[One Bad Pig]

It can carry three times the load of the Saturn V in expendable mode, but unlike the Saturn V its designed to be reusable. And in that mode it can lifte 20% more into orbit compared to the Saturn V.

That would be pretty large, then.

[Leonhard]

That would be pretty large, then.

This was their original plan, but they've scaled it down a bit. This monster would have lifted seven times what a Saturn V could. The smaller version they're building required less extreme engines, and was doable in a shorter time frame.

You can also see the rockets that Jeff Bezos (owner of Amazon) is developing to compete with Falcon 9.

[One Bad Pig]

This was their original plan, but they've scaled it down a bit. This monster would have lifted seven times what a Saturn V could. The smaller version they're building required less extreme engines, and was doable in a shorter time frame.

You can also see the rockets that Jeff Bezos (owner of Amazon) is developing to compete with Falcon 9.

Where would Energia fall on that scale?

[Leonhard]

Where would Energia fall on that scale?

It along with the Space Shuttle and other mistakes don't deserve to be on that scale.

[DesertBerean]

I initially read the title as "Musk's SpaceX Successfully Launches Rocket Back at California Base" and started to wonder which person Musk had decided to get into a spat with this time.

Lol.

[DesertBerean]

We had great views of it. I missed it cuz I got the time wrong but lots of others in my town saw it.