SpaceX signs first contract for reused rocket

The Space shuttle was not a rocket and needed extensive retrofits between each launch so I'm not sure if they really count. They also had a tendency to blow up and kill everyone.

 

I said an example of a rocket being used. While a shuttle isn't a typical rocket, if you look at the engines they are pretty damn close. The Discovery never blew up. I thought we were talking about rockets not being able to be reused?

 

They need to have trained personnel testing the equipment before assuming it's safe for launch tbh

 

This is definitely a rocket's engines.

 

I don't think you're qualified to post on the matter, but that's just my opinion. No offense

 

And why would you have this opinion?

 

Because it seems like you're literally googling stuff

 

I mean that is what they were doing when this exploded.

 

Do they know what caused the explosion yet? I'm pretty interested to know

 

Only thing I have googled is the number of missions Discovery flew and the image. I have been following SpaceX for a while now.

 

I guess Wikipedia seems to define anything with rocket engines as a rocket so I guess you are technically correct but SpaceX is using an entirely different type of rocket that has never been reused before so we know very little about how or if it will work.

 

I mean, if we can save money and it's just as good/safe then why not reuse parts? I'm just interested to know which parts they are using and which part, or parts caused the explosion

 

It took them months after their last explosion to know. I've heard it was during fueling and that it was likely the stand and not the rocket itself that had the issue but I've also heard it was during the actual test firing. We will have to wait likely a couple months to know for sure.

 

Latest update says "the anomaly originated around the upper stage liquid oxygen tank." So they have a lot of data to go over to know exactly what happened.

True

 

What about post launch though? There are a lot of issues they'll have to face after the first successful launch. If they can't get the launch right, who's to say they will be able to do anything other than launch a rocket into space? Even North Korea is able to launch a rocket into space now days without it exploding.

 

SpaceX's plan is to reuse the entire first stage of the rocket with as little refurbishing as possible.

 

Launch of a reused rocket? Because they've already had a ton of successful rocket launches, just not one that is reused yet. North Korea launched a rocket the Russians or the Chinese made (I don't recall which). SpaceX has a pretty good track record for a new rocket system, actually. Their number of failures is fairly low compared to historical rockets.

 

To simplify, what are their plans by using technology to reach space? The United States already has satellites as far away as Jupiter, and possibly farther away than that monitoring space. I'm sure the United States is smart enough to know which parts are reusable and have been doing that for a very long time, so I'm not quite sure what this SpaceX company is trying to prove or how they think they can fund their expansion especially after multiple failed launches?

 

The recent signal came from Earth. They just got some interference. I don't see us getting shit together on Earth and exploring space as mutually exclusive. We should be doing both since we never know where either path will lead.

 

SpaceX is currently the cheapest launch provider in the world. My random Google search just told me their success rate is 93% and the industry average is 95%. So basically they have undercut all the competition by a huge margin with likely the cheapest to engineer rocket ever made, the first entirely privately funded rocket ever made and once they get the reusable first stage working their price will drop by about 1/3 so they will be the cheapest launch provider with a very reliable rocket for 10s of millions less than the next option. Musk's goal is to reduce the cost of going to space so much that entire new industries form and private enterprise starts exploring space.

No one has ever reused a rocket or recovered one by landing it. No one but SpaceX has any idea what a rocket looks like after it has gone 180KM into the sky. They are on the cutting edge of rocket science and engineering.