SpaceX Water Landing Cape Canaveral

[boatbum]

Hopefully no one got "beaned". I was watching the stage 1 landing and it looked like a fin got stuck or broke sending it spinning on the way down.

 

[Radioactive]

Here is an initial explanation:

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Grid fin hydraulic pump stalled, so Falcon landed just out to sea. Appears to be undamaged & is transmitting data. Recovery ship dispatched.
— Elon Musk (rb2rb2@gr5tgr5telonmusk) December 5, 2018

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I suspect that landings will be on the barge for a while...

--edit--

To add:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNpDWSfSd8k

This is an independent video of the landing, and an explanation.

 

[boatbum]

Hey Bill thanks for the video. I searched around a bit and came up dry. I am impressed that it actually landed standing upright. It did seem as though it was spinning opposite to what the one fin would encourage.

 

[CurrentSea]

This one shows it landing on water.
Hope it didn't hurt any fish or pollute the water.
I can see Greenpeace or Peta stepping in soon! LOL

https://www.space.com/42648-spacex-failed-rocket-landing-attempt-video.html

 

[boatbum]

It's a "floater" lol. Glad no one was hurt.

 

[Radioactive]

FWIW: As part of "safety management", the flight path is directed to that ( water landing ) spot up until the last moment,. The intent is that a ballistic ( un-directed ) landing lands in the water, without collateral damage. Only if "all is well", at the last moment, will the engines divert to the pad target.

In this case, all was not well, and it landed in the ballistic zone.

 

[CurrentSea]

Didn't the shuttle boosters used to land in the water? I mean I know they didn't try to land on a pad, but I thought they used to fall back to earth and land in water
Wait, answered my own question

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbtulv0mnlU

So NASA had it right way before musk, they just needed to add the directional part he added.

I have alot of respect for NASA when you think what this agency has accomplished thru the years.
When I move to Florida, I will be living near NASA and I am told you can see launches from my beach club. Can't wait.
Also hope to see one up close and in person.

 

[boatbum]

Ha! That and a host of other things associated with a soft landing for reusability needed to be added but this has been flogged elsewhere.