SpaceX Successfully Lands A Giant Falcon 9 Rocket For The First Time

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/21/sp...e-first-time/?sr_share=facebook#.ivjmhxs:N2mL

SpaceX has done it. Elon Musk’s rocket startup just successfully launched and then landed a Falcon 9 rocket some ten minutes later. This comes after several attempts that ended in fiery explosions.

The rocket was carrying 11 satellites destined for low-Earth orbit. It’s important to note, this rocket isn’t a one-off affair, or a small rocket like the Blue Origin New Shepard or SpaceX Grasshopper. This Falcon 9 carried important cargo and landing the rocket booster was the secondary goal of the mission.



The 15-story Falcon 9 is a serious rocket, capable of reaching 124 miles up thanks to the 1.5 million pounds of thrust produced by its 9 engines. It’s designed to take serious payloads into serious orbit. The Blue Origin is capable of taking a few humans 62 miles into the sky — which is still great.

SpaceX previously attempted to land a Falcon 9 on a robotic barge. This time around, the company opted for terra firma and a massive concrete landing pad.


Landing a Falcon 9 rocket was a long time coming for SpaceX. The company used smaller test rockets called the Grasshopper to test the system. Gradually, over several launches, the smaller rocket reached new heights from several hundred feet to sub-orbit flight before returning to Earth and landing vertically.

The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket. Only the large, booster stage landed today. The remaining capsule contains the payload, which will not be reused.

This was the sixth launch of a Falcon 9 rocket in 2015.

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So, US is again moving ahead fast through private players. While our ISRO still struggles to fine tune GSLV.

This is a big success as it would greatly reduce expenses.

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/T2...owards-developing-its-own-reusable-rocke.html
 

Kshatriya87

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@Sakal Gharelu Ustad @pmaitra : I asked this question in ISRO news and updates. Spacex program charges $60million per satellite launch and claims it is the cheapest service in the world. True? I do not know how much ISRO prices are.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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@Sakal Gharelu Ustad @pmaitra : I asked this question in ISRO news and updates. Spacex program charges $60million per satellite launch and claims it is the cheapest service in the world. True? I do not know how much ISRO prices are.
Check this: https://www.quora.com/How-much-mone...ts-other-commercial-space-technology-services

I cross verified the prices for launching from other rockets having similar capabilities as the PSLV (GSLV hasn't done any commercial launching as yet). As a part of a remote sensing satellite mission project previously, I had compared launch vehicle parameters (including the launch cost) by compiling data from various directories and databases. I have shown the final table of launchers for your reference.


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But SpaceX probably uses a bigger rocket than PSLV. Btw, MOM was Rs. 450crore~$70 million and used PSLV. So the actual launch cost would be pretty low i.e. around $16 million as reported in table above.
 

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Check this: https://www.quora.com/How-much-mone...ts-other-commercial-space-technology-services

I cross verified the prices for launching from other rockets having similar capabilities as the PSLV (GSLV hasn't done any commercial launching as yet). As a part of a remote sensing satellite mission project previously, I had compared launch vehicle parameters (including the launch cost) by compiling data from various directories and databases. I have shown the final table of launchers for your reference.


##########################################

But SpaceX probably uses a bigger rocket than PSLV. Btw, MOM was Rs. 450crore~$70 million and used PSLV. So the actual launch cost would be pretty low i.e. around $16 million as reported in table above.
Very informative. Thanks. Our stats look really nice up there. I asked because I was just worried about potential customers turning to Spacex instead of ISRO and thus loosing business as a result.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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Very informative. Thanks. Our stats look really nice up there. I asked because I was just worried about potential customers turning to Spacex instead of ISRO and thus loosing business as a result.
GSLV is a mess. We need to ramp it up quickly to be in this business seriously. And if the above program from SpaceX goes forward, it will allow reusage of rockets and drastically cut down the costs. It just increased the competition in the field many fold.
 

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@Kshatriya87 @Sakal Gharelu Ustad

Space is also American, can't discount the strategic appeal of it for nato. We have to beat it wide margin not just match it.

Don't know enough about space launching, will start learning for Interest. Beside cost, do we have geographic advantages or is Houston Florida better?
Very informative. Thanks. Our stats look really nice up there. I asked because I was just worried about potential customers turning to Spacex instead of ISRO and thus loosing business as a result.
 

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This is the video of the first stage landing back. This is an important milestone in rocketry.

Historic Landing of Falcon 9 First Stage at Landing Zone 1
GSLV is a mess. We need to ramp it up quickly to be in this business seriously. And if the above program from SpaceX goes forward, it will allow reusage of rockets and drastically cut down the costs. It just increased the competition in the field many fold.
if this goes on then isro gonna be perceived as another drdo.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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if this goes on then isro gonna be perceived as another drdo.
US has opened up the sector completely to private sectors and so they have Virgin galactic, Tesla and probably also Fb and google competing for the pie. I am sure a lot of innovation will come from there and ISRO will have a hard time in future. It is time for India to create some competition in this field.
 

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US has opened up the sector completely to private sectors and so they have Virgin galactic, Tesla and probably also Fb and google competing for the pie. I am sure a lot of innovation will come from there and ISRO will have a hard time in future. It is time for India to create some competition in this field.
yeah, when indians were wondering maybe we could catch up with usa,

they just took another big leap,

its question for indian people who still thinks that we should not put private companies in defence or aerospace.
 

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Either ISRO has to expand and innovate at rapid pace or do what Americans are doing,rope in private sector and give incentives.The cost factor will be in our favour.Without NASA's help SpaceX would not have come to fructify.The same can be done with Indian private sector.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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yeah, when indians were wondering maybe we could catch up with usa,

they just took another big leap,

its question for indian people who still thinks that we should not put private companies in defence or aerospace.
Just wait before our inhouse commies come and say--no private firm can match ISRO's investment!!
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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Either ISRO has to expand and innovate at rapid pace or do what Americans are doing,rope in private sector and give incentives.The cost factor will be in our favour.Without NASA's help SpaceX would not have come to fructify.The same can be done with Indian private sector.
I mean the engineers from NASA moved to these firms. ISRO has matured the technology and can act as a common hub for hiring scientists etc. I do not know how these private firms are going to get back their investment but given that so many of them are doing it, there would definitely be efficiency gains and big push for space tourism.
 

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US has opened up the sector completely to private sectors and so they have Virgin galactic, Tesla and probably also Fb and google competing for the pie. I am sure a lot of innovation will come from there and ISRO will have a hard time in future. It is time for India to create some competition in this field.
Do you know who manufactures Vikas engines (used in PSLV)? Also same manufacturer will then produce CE & SCE iterations: ‎Godrej & Boyce. So ISRO already does a lot of outsourcing. Indian pvt sector will never invest on R&D, esp high cost, delayed return R&D areas. So in india's case ISRO willl lead efforts in design and then transfer the same to pvt sector. Maybe in near future you will see ambani, tata, l&t or even bharat forge taking up this task
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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Do you know who manufactures Vikas engines (used in PSLV)? Also same manufacturer will then produce CE & SCE iterations: ‎Godrej & Boyce. So ISRO already does a lot of outsourcing. Indian pvt sector will never invest on R&D, esp high cost, delayed return R&D areas. So in india's case ISRO willl lead efforts in design and then transfer the same to pvt sector. Maybe in near future you will see ambani, tata, l&t or even bharat forge taking up this task
Private players are always involved but we are talking of nodal space research firm. India does not provide guarantee like US to its start-ups. SpaceX was given contract for supplying cargo to international space ship much before it matured. Something that you would not see in India. And so private firms would not invest.
 

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I mean the engineers from NASA moved to these firms. ISRO has matured the technology and can act as a common hub for hiring scientists etc. I do not know how these private firms are going to get back their investment but given that so many of them are doing it, there would definitely be efficiency gains and big push for space tourism.
How to make profits from space ventures is up to private firms.The thing is it has to happen quick and not in just space tech but in most of the fields.More and more Billionaires should come out in the next decade and a half.The Ambanis,Adanis,Tatas,etc., are not risking enough to dream beyond,and that's understandable.The new crop can change this and don't mind risking their investments.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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How to make profits from space ventures is up to private firms.The thing is it has to happen quick and not in just space tech but in most of the fields.More and more Billionaires should come out in the next decade and a half.The Ambanis,Adanis,Tatas,etc., are not risking enough to dream beyond,and that's understandable.The new crop can change this and don't mind risking their investments.
They have their skin everywhere except in industries with big govt. presence. They do not know whether govt. will continue to outsource the job or not. This policy uncertainty on govt. part is the biggest problem.
 

Varahamihira

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Do you know who manufactures Vikas engines (used in PSLV)? Also same manufacturer will then produce CE & SCE iterations: ‎Godrej & Boyce. So ISRO already does a lot of outsourcing. Indian pvt sector will never invest on R&D, esp high cost, delayed return R&D areas. So in india's case ISRO willl lead efforts in design and then transfer the same to pvt sector. Maybe in near future you will see ambani, tata, l&t or even bharat forge taking up this task
Bhai the answer is in your question only "How many know the role of private players?".
They have to have a complete parallel setup to ISRO.It has to change in the next decade and a half.The race is on.
 

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