Home
Science
Space
Here's why landing a rocket on a ship just might save humanity

Here's why landing a rocket on a ship just might save humanity

Right now we rely on rockets to launch things like satellites and supplies for the International Space Station into space.

Here's why landing a rocket on a ship just might save humanity

But just one rocket costs over $60 million, and you can only use it once. Amazon founder and space entrepreneur Jeff Bezos has compared it to using a 747 to fly across the country once and then throwing the plane away.

But just one rocket costs over $60 million, and you can only use it once. Amazon founder and space entrepreneur Jeff Bezos has compared it to using a 747 to fly across the country once and then throwing the plane away.

That's why Elon Musk's SpaceX and Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin are trying to develop reusable rockets.

That

Instead of throwing away $60 million on every single launch, reuseable rockets could fly over and over again. The only cost per launch would be a few replacement parts and about $200,000 for rocket fuel.

Instead of throwing away $60 million on every single launch, reuseable rockets could fly over and over again. The only cost per launch would be a few replacement parts and about $200,000 for rocket fuel.

A reusable rocket is no easy feat though. SpaceX released a graphic that shows a step by step schematic of how their revolutionary rocket technology works:

A reusable rocket is no easy feat though. SpaceX released a graphic that shows a step by step schematic of how their revolutionary rocket technology works:

First, the giant 229-foot-tall rocket launches:

First, the giant 229-foot-tall rocket launches:

Then the rocket separates into two parts. The top part called stage 2 continues upward and carries the payload into space. The bottom part called stage 1 is the piece that SpaceX will try to land back on Earth.

Then the rocket separates into two parts. The top part called stage 2 continues upward and carries the payload into space. The bottom part called stage 1 is the piece that SpaceX will try to land back on Earth.

You can see the second stage continues on into space, but thrusters on the first stage fire to flip that piece of the rocket around and point it back towards Earth.

You can see the second stage continues on into space, but thrusters on the first stage fire to flip that piece of the rocket around and point it back towards Earth.

Some of the engines on the first stage briefly reignite to get the rocket lined up for a landing. Small grid fins open on the sides to help steer the rocket during the landing.

Some of the engines on the first stage briefly reignite to get the rocket lined up for a landing. Small grid fins open on the sides to help steer the rocket during the landing.

Once the rocket gets close to Earth, the engines light again to help it slow down before the landing. The grid fins help keep the rocket oriented in the right direction.

Once the rocket gets close to Earth, the engines light again to help it slow down before the landing. The grid fins help keep the rocket oriented in the right direction.

A sophisticated navigation system tells the rocket where to land. When all goes according to plan, it looks something like this:

A sophisticated navigation system tells the rocket where to land. When all goes according to plan, it looks something like this:

RAW Embed

SpaceX has attempted to land its rocket on a barge at sea before. Those tries have all been unsuccessful:

SpaceX has attempted to land its rocket on a barge at sea before. Those tries have all been unsuccessful:

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/BhMSzC1crr0
Width: 1200px
Height: 675px

Last time SpaceX switched things up. It landed the rocket at Cape Canaveral's new Landing Zone 1 — solid ground, and a much more steady target than a ship being tossed in the waves.

Last time SpaceX switched things up. It landed the rocket at Cape Canaveral

Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin already successfully landed a rocket back in November, but what SpaceX is attempting is different, and much, much harder.

Jeff Bezos

RAW Embed

For now Blue Origin is only interested in space tourism, which involves launching spacecraft to the edge of space (roughly 62 miles above Earth) where paying passengers can experience zero gravity for a few minutes.

For now Blue Origin is only interested in space tourism, which involves launching spacecraft to the edge of space (roughly 62 miles above Earth) where paying passengers can experience zero gravity for a few minutes.

Source: Tech Insider

So Blue Origin's rocket isn't nearly powerful enough to put a spacecraft or satellites into orbit — that requires about 100 times more energy.

So Blue Origin

SpaceX's rocket, on the other hand, actually launched a satellite into space before the landing. That means the rocket traveled higher and faster, making the landing much more difficult to pull off than Blue Origin's.

SpaceX

If SpaceX can demonstrate the same capability at sea — a safer place to launch a rocket over — it could drastically lower the cost of access to orbiting the Earth.

If SpaceX can demonstrate the same capability at sea — a safer place to launch a rocket over — it could drastically lower the cost of access to orbiting the Earth.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, says recycling a rocket over and over and learning to fly it like a plane could reduce the cost of access to space "by as much as a factor of a hundred."

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, says recycling a rocket over and over and learning to fly it like a plane could reduce the cost of access to space "by as much as a factor of a hundred."

Source: SpaceX

And that could support Musk's ultimate vision: To send a million people to colonize Mars and turn it into a "backup drive" for humanity.

And that could support Musk

Source: Tech Insider

Popular Right Now

Advertisement