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In the past we even had space ships, which could start from ground, go to space, do stuff, come back and the could be reused. Having just a rocket isn't that m

In the past we even had space ships, which could start from ground, go to space, do stuff, come back and the could be reused. Having just a rocket isn't that much of an improvement. That said: All the constraints on making it reusable and safe for humans are also a key factor why Space Shuttle was so expensive. With SpaceX's rockets not all parts need to resist the stress of reentry etc.

KineticLensman 8y ago
> In the past we even had space ships, which could start from ground, go to space, do stuff, come back and the could be reused The 're-used' aspect of the Shuttle involved massive re-fits which took months for each vehicle. It was like having to send your car back to the manufacturer for a total rebuild (often including engine change) every time you went for a drive. SpaceX is a massive improvement in this respect.
- jacquesm 8y ago
  And two expended boosters and an expended fuel tank.
  - HALtheWise 8y ago
    Nitpick: the boosters were reused by parachute splashdown, but it was also really expensive due to (among other things) the corrosiveness of salt water. The External Tank was in fact expended.
    - KineticLensman 8y ago
      Each SRB consisted of 11 cylindrical steel sections. After flight and recovery, these were dismantled, refilled with solid rocket fuel as appropriate, and then reconnected to form a new SRB with all of the O-rings, etc. So also a complete rebuild, with reuse occurring at the segment level, not of the whole booster assembly.
Robotbeat 8y ago
Dragons are also reused (although at first, these newer ones will only be reused for cargo flights). Additionally, SpaceX is serious about Starship/BFR. That's fully reusable and will be capable of going to the Moon (or even Mars) and back fully reusably: https://twitter.com/JaneidyEve/status/1102023437206388736 https://twitter.com/JaneidyEve/status/1102023437206388736

KineticLensman 8y ago

> In the past we even had space ships, which could start from ground, go to space, do stuff, come back and the could be reused The 're-used' aspect of the Shuttle involved massive re-fits which took months for each vehicle. It was like having to send your car back to the manufacturer for a total rebuild (often including engine change) every time you went for a drive. SpaceX is a massive improvement in this respect.

jacquesm 8y ago
And two expended boosters and an expended fuel tank.
- HALtheWise 8y ago
  Nitpick: the boosters were reused by parachute splashdown, but it was also really expensive due to (among other things) the corrosiveness of salt water. The External Tank was in fact expended.
  - KineticLensman 8y ago
    Each SRB consisted of 11 cylindrical steel sections. After flight and recovery, these were dismantled, refilled with solid rocket fuel as appropriate, and then reconnected to form a new SRB with all of the O-rings, etc. So also a complete rebuild, with reuse occurring at the segment level, not of the whole booster assembly.

Robotbeat 8y ago

Dragons are also reused (although at first, these newer ones will only be reused for cargo flights). Additionally, SpaceX is serious about Starship/BFR. That's fully reusable and will be capable of going to the Moon (or even Mars) and back fully reusably: https://twitter.com/JaneidyEve/status/1102023437206388736 https://twitter.com/JaneidyEve/status/1102023437206388736