SpaceX Successful!!

Wow, watching the live stream. The fucking first stage of the rocket returned and landed on the pad.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

 

[millais]

Excellent! When can we start launching lolcows into the sun?

 

[NeverHappened]

I remember them doing a landing thing on a sea platform and fail. Is this the same thing only successful.

So this is basically suppose to make rockets reuseable if I understand and lowers repetitive launch costs. I suppose the habit of letting parts fall into the ocean was a result of government spending.

 

[AnimuGinger]

I remember them doing a landing thing on a sea platform and fail. Is this the same thing only successful.

So this is basically suppose to make rockets reuseable if I understand and lowers repetitive launch costs. I suppose the habit of letting parts fall into the ocean was a result of government spending.

This was a landing on solid ground, not the barge this time.

It's also easier to let parts just fall than it is to try to recover them in some salvageable condition. Ocean = Saltwater = Bad. Doing something where you guide a booster + engines back down takes expertise and skill that no one really wanted to invest in.