4 ms·
Amazingly enough this article misses the primary reason that ship landings are still useful even with land landings are possible - you can use way less fuel, si
by danielvf 11y ago
Amazingly enough this article misses the primary reason that ship landings are still useful even with land landings are possible - you can use way less fuel, since you can position the ship near where the first stage was going to fall anyway, rather than having the rocket fly back to to pad. Using less fuel for the landing means that you can use that fuel to lift a heavier payload.
Of course with the trickier landings, smaller landing targets, saltwater, and additional transportation risks, I'd expect landings on droneships to be only used when land is not an option.
- SEJeff 11y agoYup and while launchpads are at a serious premium, space in the entire ocean is not. They could in theory launch many rockets on the same pad over the course of a few days and land them all on separate "drone transport ships".
- toomuchtodo 11y ago> Yup and while launchpads are at a serious premium, space in the entire ocean is not. They could in theory launch many rockets on the same pad over the course of a few days and land them all on separate "drone transport ships". Or combine land and sea landings; Falcon Heavy boosters will return to the cape, the central core will land downrange on a barge.