Spacex Sticks Landing! But Neglects Lateral Forces
Space came so close! to their goal of landing a rocket (in this case, just its booster) on a sea platform.
(Very close to landing a rocket booster on a sea platform)
Video from a chase plane showing the final seconds before the first stage of the SpaceX CRS-6 booster touched down on the company's "Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship" April 14, 2015.
The rocket did, for a second time in as many attempts, HIT the barge, but did not stay vertical & fell over. According to company leader Elon Musk, "Falcon landed fine, but excess lateral velocity caused it to tip over post landing."
All true sf fans (i.e., old fans) believe that one day spacecraft will be able to take off and land on their tails, just as God and Robert Heinlein intended.
SpaceX Wants A Moonbase Alpha
'And he had been sent with troops, supplies and bombs to command Russia's most trusted post, the Moonbase.' - L. Ron Hubbard, 1948.
Can A Human Land A SpaceX Rocket On Its Tail?
'If she starts to roll sideways — blooey! The underjets only hold you up when they’re pointing down, you know.' - Stanley G. Weinbaum, 1936.
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Gaia - Why Stop With Just The Earth?
'But the stars are only atoms in larger space, and in that larger space the star-atoms could combine to form living matter, thinking matter, couldn't they?'
Microsoft VASA-1 Creates Personal Video From A Photo
'...to build up a video picture would require, say, ten million decisions every second. Mike, you're so fast I can't even think about it. But you aren't that fast.'