Tonight SpaceX will live-test the reusable rocket that could change spaceflight

[n2doc]

There’s some drama in space today: A malfunctioning computer on the International Space Station (ISS) has jangled nerves around a routine re-supply mission already complicated by US-Russian tensions.

But there’s also important news in a surprise announcement from SpaceX, the private company headed by Elon Musk, which designed and built the rocket and spacecraft for today’s re-supply flight. The launch, scheduled for just before 5pm US Eastern time, will also serve as a test of the company’s reusable rocket. After the robotic Dragon spacecraft is launched toward its rendezvous with the ISS in orbit, the Falcon rocket that sent it on its way won’t just tumble into the Atlantic ocean: It will attempt to deploy four landing legs and use thrusters to control its descent, something like this but over water:

SpaceX says that the test has a 30% to 40% probability of success, so it could all go pear-shaped. But the engineers there hope that the data collected during the attempt at a controlled descent will help them to refine their approach to building a more efficient launch vehicle. As we’ve written before, making a rocket reusable is something of a holy grail for Musk and SpaceX: While the rockets cost $54 million, their fuel costs only $200,000, so making most of the rocket reusable would save tens of millions of dollars and allow the fledgling rocket company—which already seeks to undercut its competitors on price—to dominate the putting-things-in-space business.

The 2.3 tons (2.1 tonnes) of cargo in today’s launch consists mostly of scientific payloads to the station, including sensors and cameras for the station as well as VEGGIE, an experiment designed to allow astronauts to produce “salad-type vegetables in space.” But it will also contain food, additional spacesuits, and equipment needed to support a space walk on April 22 that will attempt to fix the malfunctioning computer.

more

http://qz.com/198764/tonight-spacex-will-live-test-the-reusable-rocket-that-could-change-spaceflight/

[qazplm]

1. dumb question

but why not just attach a parachute that deploys and lets the rocket drift back to Earth?

Then recover just like we recovered the Apollo craft.

[toddwv]

2. It may just be more than a recovery attempt.

While a reusable rocket no doubt COULD save money, it could also be a platform technology for spacecraft that can take off and land in a similar fashion... maybe somewhere other than earth.

Also, parachute recoveries are likely fairly jarring events and soaking complicated electronics in water is simply a bad idea if you want to reuse something.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. SpaceX stands down Falcon launch

SpaceX was forced on Monday to postpone its latest commercial cargo re-supply mission to the space station.

About 80 minutes before the company's Falcon-9 rocket was due to make a 16:58 local time (20:58 GMT) lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center, engineers called a halt to proceedings.

Sensors indicated a helium leak in the vehicle's first-stage.

SpaceX's next opportunity to get the rocket and its Dragon freighter off the ground will be on Friday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27027200