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The first time SpaceX landed a booster we had 1284 upvotes 432 comments (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10774865 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1077

by abhi3 9y ago

The first time SpaceX landed a booster we had 1284 upvotes 432 comments (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10774865 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10774865), in less than two years it has become so routine that this submission has just 22 point and 4 comments. Makes me wonder if one-day lunches to Mars and intra-planetary travel via BFR will also become so routine :)

kharms 9y ago
Trips to Mars have a launch window every two years, so the inter-planatary BFR launches will remain a BFD indefinitely. :) Edit: citation http://athena.cornell.edu/mars_facts/sb_launch_window.html http://athena.cornell.edu/mars_facts/sb_launch_window.html
- krisroadruck 9y ago
  This depends largely on advances in propulsion. It's convenient to launch to mars every 2 years from a fuel efficiency standpoint, but there is no reason why we can't go there at any other time, other than current propulsion limits. At a constant 1G acceleration (including a flip over at the halfway mark for equal 1G deceleration), even at its farthest distance from earth, we could reach it in under 5 days. You even get artificial gravity as a bonus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_travel_using_constant_acceleration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_travel_using_constant_ac...
  - olegkikin 9y ago
    Only problem is, 1G acceleration for 5 days straight is pure fiction at this point.
Narretz 9y ago
Overall, this is a good thing. What's bad is that the next time a rocket doesn't make the landing (or worse, cannot submit the payload), this will be all over the news as a failure. At least in Germany, a failure would get a mention on the frontpage of tagesschau.de (portal of the state-sponsored media channel), while a success doesn't.
- avar 9y ago
  If Lufthansa crashes a plane tomorrow in Berlin that'll also make the German news, while them flying hundreds of flights a day doesn't make it because it's not noteworthy. It's the news because it's notable or out of the ordinary.
  - grecy 9y ago
    > It's the news because it's notable or out of the ordinary. While that may once have been true, what consists of "news" today is simply whatever will grab people's attention. It's all about ratings. It certainly does not have to be notable or out of the ordinary.
Gargoyle 9y ago
Well, the thread also started at 5:30 am California time!

by abhi3 9y ago

kharms 9y ago

Trips to Mars have a launch window every two years, so the inter-planatary BFR launches will remain a BFD indefinitely. :) Edit: citation http://athena.cornell.edu/mars_facts/sb_launch_window.html http://athena.cornell.edu/mars_facts/sb_launch_window.html

krisroadruck 9y ago
This depends largely on advances in propulsion. It's convenient to launch to mars every 2 years from a fuel efficiency standpoint, but there is no reason why we can't go there at any other time, other than current propulsion limits. At a constant 1G acceleration (including a flip over at the halfway mark for equal 1G deceleration), even at its farthest distance from earth, we could reach it in under 5 days. You even get artificial gravity as a bonus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_travel_using_constant_acceleration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_travel_using_constant_ac...
- olegkikin 9y ago
  Only problem is, 1G acceleration for 5 days straight is pure fiction at this point.

Narretz 9y ago

Overall, this is a good thing. What's bad is that the next time a rocket doesn't make the landing (or worse, cannot submit the payload), this will be all over the news as a failure. At least in Germany, a failure would get a mention on the frontpage of tagesschau.de (portal of the state-sponsored media channel), while a success doesn't.

avar 9y ago
If Lufthansa crashes a plane tomorrow in Berlin that'll also make the German news, while them flying hundreds of flights a day doesn't make it because it's not noteworthy. It's the news because it's notable or out of the ordinary.
- grecy 9y ago
  > It's the news because it's notable or out of the ordinary. While that may once have been true, what consists of "news" today is simply whatever will grab people's attention. It's all about ratings. It certainly does not have to be notable or out of the ordinary.

Gargoyle 9y ago

Well, the thread also started at 5:30 am California time!