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Forum:Commercial Space - Military Space
Topic:SpaceX Falcon 9/JCSAT-14, droneship landing
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Robert PearlmanSpaceX photos
First landed booster from a GTO-class mission (final spacecraft altitude will be about 36,000 km).

HeadshotDoes anyone know when the first stage/droneship gets into Port Canaveral?
Robert PearlmanThis unofficial map tracking the dronship's location projects the arrival at the port early Tuesday (May 10) morning.
HeadshotSo cool! Thank you Robert.
Robert PearlmanSpaceX photo

Robert PearlmanSpaceX video
Three different views of last week's Falcon 9 first stage landing after sending JCSAT-14 satellite on to Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Hottest and fastest landing yet.
Robert PearlmanThe droneship is at shore, as can be seen live on the Port Canaveral webcam.

Robert PearlmanThe view this morning, as can be seen live on the Port Canaveral webcam.

SkyMan1958In the three camera angle video(s), is it just me, or does it look like, very briefly, the underside of the landing struts are on fire?
HeadshotI noticed that too.

I also thought one of the actuators that extended a strut also seemed to burn noticeably longer than the others.

daboltonElon is saying the hangar is getting full; well three in the hanger equals a Falcon heavy test.
Robert PearlmanThe recovered first stage was rolled back over to SpaceX's horizontal integration facility at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A on Saturday (May 14).

Robert PearlmanSpaceX photos

Robert PearlmanPer Elon Musk on Twitter:
Most recent rocket took max damage, due to v[ery] high entry velocity. Will be our life leader for ground tests to confirm others are good.
Replying to a question, he confirmed that future Falcon 9 rockets be built more resilient so that they can survive recovery with less damage. Musk also confirmed that SpaceX is working to recover the fairings as well.
David CareyGreat photos and great accomplishment.

It looks like the two outmost boosters have undergone some deconstruction compared to the new addition in the center. The lander legs are removed from all.

An interesting Aviation Week post from May 2014 discusses some of the tradeoffs and questions around reusability.

"The most fundamental breakthrough is a rapidly and fully reusable rocket," Musk said in February (2014). "It doesn't help if it's partially reusable."
A December 2015 Spaceflight Now article is also a good read, including some of the comments.

Despite Musk's 2014 comment, it seems like there must be some overhaul cost threshold below which real savings are still achieved.

I understand the shuttle experience with high refurb costs and the tradeoff of better production costs with 'use-and-toss' volumes, but if turnaround is cheap enough surely the idea is still a win.

Perhaps it is closely held or I missed it (or it's just too soon) but has SpaceX discussed any particular reusability learnings from the now-recovered boosters?

Robert PearlmanSpaceX video
Falcon 9 first stage from May JCSAT mission was test fired, full duration, at our Texas rocket development facility today (July 28).

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