The Final Frontier

[Hoid]

Musk posted a video of the rocket being caught by a boat with a large net strung over top of itself with 4 outriggers.

An amazingly simple thing given computer GPS navigation, and something it never occurred to me as a possiblity.

So they actually don't splash down.

 

[Jinentonix]

Wait. . . THAT's your rule? If science fiction predicts something, making it happen in the real world is meaningless?

I didn't say it was meaningless. I said "big deal". That's the attitude of someone who has been cynically waiting for it to happen. This is actually less of a surprise than the old Star Trek-inspired flip phones.


As I said, private corporations are about making profit. I'm not sure if being one step closer to commoditizing our little corner of this wonderous universe is worthy of celebration.

 

[Jinentonix]

Musk posted a video of the rocket being caught by a boat with a large net strung over top of itself with 4 outriggers.

Ain't fossil fuels great? :lol: They powered the Space X rocket. They powered the boat that picked up the rocket. It's hysterical watching you cheer the burning of massive amounts of kerosene and a good amount of diesel.

 

[Jinentonix]

Musk posted a video of the rocket being caught by a boat with a large net strung over top of itself with 4 outriggers.

An amazingly simple thing given computer GPS navigation, and something it never occurred to me as a possiblity.

Well, not as simple as you might think. Winds/wind gusts, especially higher up can be a big variable. But it is a pretty cool idea.

 

[taxslave]

I much prefer landing on a runway. Doesn't require any fuel when they do deadstick landings. Also seems more practical.

 

[petros]

It's all about the rocks and minerals.


That's what happens when you hand rockets and robots to petrologists and mineralogists.