Posted: 10/30/2013 8:39:34 AM EDT
The left gear didn't come down, which sent it off the runway. However, at least it flys! More drop tests at higher altitudes to come. |
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 http://youtu.be/Fm1maMfXRCA
For the apple users The left gear didn't come down, which sent it off the runway. However, at least it flys! More drop tests at higher altitudes to come. |
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When do they start testing thrusters? That will be interesting. Quoted:
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such an innocuous thing to go wrong. but they have all the important data and it sounds like they'll just move to the next phase (which also uses different landing gear) When do they start testing thrusters? That will be interesting. that would be cool but it looks, according to the wiki, that the system is intended for use in vacuum. |
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Umm. Not that impressive. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? They dropped the damn thing from a skycrane. SpaceX is doing all kinds of neat shit, even resupplying the ISS. They will be doing more high altitude drop tests with this vehicle in the future. This was just the first one, and I imagine the goal was to ensure the landing would work out. |
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that would be cool but it looks, according to the wiki, that the system is intended for use in vacuum. Quoted:
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such an innocuous thing to go wrong. but they have all the important data and it sounds like they'll just move to the next phase (which also uses different landing gear) When do they start testing thrusters? That will be interesting. that would be cool but it looks, according to the wiki, that the system is intended for use in vacuum. So thrusters don't work in space? 
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Umm. Not that impressive. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? They dropped the damn thing from a skycrane. SpaceX is doing all kinds of neat shit, even resupplying the ISS. I'm not quite understanding your question. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? If you fly fast enough, even thin air provides enough lift and the entire craft is a lifting body design. The automated systems will provide the ideal balance between lift and velocity |
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I'm not quite understanding your question. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? If you fly fast enough, even thin air provides enough lift and the entire craft is a lifting body design. The automated systems will provide the ideal balance between lift and velocity Quoted:
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Umm. Not that impressive. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? They dropped the damn thing from a skycrane. SpaceX is doing all kinds of neat shit, even resupplying the ISS. I'm not quite understanding your question. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? If you fly fast enough, even thin air provides enough lift and the entire craft is a lifting body design. The automated systems will provide the ideal balance between lift and velocity I thought spacecraft could tumble in thin a atmosphere, and needed complex thruster control programs to keep them stabilized, and at the right angle of attack to keep the heat on the tiles. |
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So thrusters don't work in space?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9HQWKrWFys/Ul07LzRYroI/AAAAAAAAQxs/y9YiAy7vA2k/s1600/Walking+in+Space+(7).jpg Quoted:
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such an innocuous thing to go wrong. but they have all the important data and it sounds like they'll just move to the next phase (which also uses different landing gear) When do they start testing thrusters? That will be interesting. that would be cool but it looks, according to the wiki, that the system is intended for use in vacuum. So thrusters don't work in space?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9HQWKrWFys/Ul07LzRYroI/AAAAAAAAQxs/y9YiAy7vA2k/s1600/Walking+in+Space+(7).jpg Space is a vacuum 
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I thought spacecraft could tumble in thin a atmosphere, and needed complex thruster control programs to keep them stabilized, and at the right angle of attack to keep the heat on the tiles. Quoted:
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Umm. Not that impressive. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? They dropped the damn thing from a skycrane. SpaceX is doing all kinds of neat shit, even resupplying the ISS. I'm not quite understanding your question. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? If you fly fast enough, even thin air provides enough lift and the entire craft is a lifting body design. The automated systems will provide the ideal balance between lift and velocity I thought spacecraft could tumble in thin a atmosphere, and needed complex thruster control programs to keep them stabilized, and at the right angle of attack to keep the heat on the tiles. RCS sets the right attitude/angle of attack and as you get down Hypersonic speeds gives reasonable control |
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Space is a vacuum Quoted:
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such an innocuous thing to go wrong. but they have all the important data and it sounds like they'll just move to the next phase (which also uses different landing gear) When do they start testing thrusters? That will be interesting. that would be cool but it looks, according to the wiki, that the system is intended for use in vacuum. So thrusters don't work in space?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9HQWKrWFys/Ul07LzRYroI/AAAAAAAAQxs/y9YiAy7vA2k/s1600/Walking+in+Space+(7).jpg Space is a vacuum Yes, more or less. |
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Umm. Not that impressive. Neat, but how will it do in very thin atmospheres? Reentry? They dropped the damn thing from a skycrane. SpaceX is doing all kinds of neat shit, even resupplying the ISS. Well, the thing is ...... the atmosphere is usually pretty thick near the ground where you need to land. BTW, every manned vehicle goes through a drop test like this. The Apollo CM did. The Shuttle did. And the SpaceX Dragon capsule did. You have to start somewhere. Yes, SpaceX is much further along. But no need to diminish this accomplishment. In the end, it will all be about cost. As cool as this lifting body craft is, I suspect SpaceX will have them beat there. |