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I can't think of anything that beats the dual hoverslam for cool factor. What a breathtaking sight! Mad props to Elon and the team at SpaceX for getting the hat

I can't think of anything that beats the dual hoverslam for cool factor. What a breathtaking sight! Mad props to Elon and the team at SpaceX for getting the hat trick.

imjasonmiller 8y ago
The sonic booms were lovely as well! Gives you somewhat of a sense on how fast they were coming down.
- Klathmon 8y ago
  all 6 of them! Each booster generates 3 distinct "booms". IIRC the causes of each are slightly different, but it's nutty hearing it in person!
  - plttn 8y ago
    Yup! One is from the engine bell, one from the widest part of the body by the landing legs, and the third is the grid fins.
ChuckMcM 8y ago
Agreed, it is pretty epic. It is one of those things that really impresses how far ahead of the previous generation launch systems this can be. Now it will be interesting to watch how "low cost" commercial heavy launch capabilities will be used. I know they are working hard on the the BFR but there is money to be made here that I'm sure at least Gwynn Shotwell is looking to take away from ULA and others.
sneak 8y ago
SpaceX is a military contractor that flies classified payloads to allow the US military to more effectively prosecute their mission, which is, of course, murder. If we should be upset with Google (and those that work there) for working on drone targeting, we should be upset with SpaceX (and those that work there) for aiding those same organizations in those same missions. What they did is cool. Maybe essential, in that it helps get human beings off of this planet sooner, before the next K-T or global influenza or Tunguska or whatever. But until that happens, they are helping large organizations whose purpose is to murder increase their effectiveness. (It may also be possible that that is the only way they can be continued to allow to exist and operate in the US now that they can state-independently operate private ICBMs, or the only way to remain profitable enough to continue working and employing long enough to get humans off of this rock.) It could be that choosing sides (or even choosing nonviolence) in insignificant single-planet infighting is pointless and irrelevant on the scale of what is an absolutely essential species function to become multiplanetary. I still care too much about the lives of humans on this planet in this generation to subscribe to such apathy to single-planet military pursuits just yet. Regardless of where one falls on this spectrum of nationalistic opinion, I think we should be careful about being so breathless for what is, in practice, a military contractor - for the same reasons we were such at Google, and should be at Microsoft and Amazon (who also seem to have suffered no such corresponding backlash for their tremendous material support to those who commit mass murder).
- phamilton 8y ago
  Everyone has their rationalizations, but to me the transport of a weapon is different from designing a weapon, which is different from firing a weapon. Each may draw the line as they see fit though.
  - falcor84 8y ago
    Agreed. And in this particular case, they're not even transporting weapons, right? I don't see this as being too different than a paper products company supplying notebooks to the military.
    - JshWright 8y ago
      In this case they're not doing anything for the military. This payload was a commercial communication satellite. SpaceX has only done a small handful of DoD/NRO missions.
      - Robotbeat 8y ago
        ...and in each of those cases, they were not weapons.
        toufiqbarhamov 8y ago
        Just the devices used to choose targets. It seems like splitting hairs when you effectively don’t build guns, you just build gunsights to use a metaphor. Note that I’m in favor of supporting the military, but I’m not in favor of pretending that support however it comes about doesn’t ultimately connect to killing people.
        Robotbeat 8y ago
        I mean, GPS, too, right? I think you've exaggerated the definition to well beyond reason.
Shivetya 8y ago
growing up watching flash gordon, buck rogers, to thunderbirds, and more, it feels as if all the Saturday morning TV is now real.

I can't think of anything that beats the dual hoverslam for cool factor. What a breathtaking sight! Mad props to Elon and the team at SpaceX for getting the hat trick.

imjasonmiller 8y ago

The sonic booms were lovely as well! Gives you somewhat of a sense on how fast they were coming down.

Klathmon 8y ago
all 6 of them! Each booster generates 3 distinct "booms". IIRC the causes of each are slightly different, but it's nutty hearing it in person!
- plttn 8y ago
  Yup! One is from the engine bell, one from the widest part of the body by the landing legs, and the third is the grid fins.

ChuckMcM 8y ago

Agreed, it is pretty epic. It is one of those things that really impresses how far ahead of the previous generation launch systems this can be. Now it will be interesting to watch how "low cost" commercial heavy launch capabilities will be used. I know they are working hard on the the BFR but there is money to be made here that I'm sure at least Gwynn Shotwell is looking to take away from ULA and others.

sneak 8y ago

SpaceX is a military contractor that flies classified payloads to allow the US military to more effectively prosecute their mission, which is, of course, murder. If we should be upset with Google (and those that work there) for working on drone targeting, we should be upset with SpaceX (and those that work there) for aiding those same organizations in those same missions. What they did is cool. Maybe essential, in that it helps get human beings off of this planet sooner, before the next K-T or global influenza or Tunguska or whatever. But until that happens, they are helping large organizations whose purpose is to murder increase their effectiveness. (It may also be possible that that is the only way they can be continued to allow to exist and operate in the US now that they can state-independently operate private ICBMs, or the only way to remain profitable enough to continue working and employing long enough to get humans off of this rock.) It could be that choosing sides (or even choosing nonviolence) in insignificant single-planet infighting is pointless and irrelevant on the scale of what is an absolutely essential species function to become multiplanetary. I still care too much about the lives of humans on this planet in this generation to subscribe to such apathy to single-planet military pursuits just yet. Regardless of where one falls on this spectrum of nationalistic opinion, I think we should be careful about being so breathless for what is, in practice, a military contractor - for the same reasons we were such at Google, and should be at Microsoft and Amazon (who also seem to have suffered no such corresponding backlash for their tremendous material support to those who commit mass murder).

phamilton 8y ago
Everyone has their rationalizations, but to me the transport of a weapon is different from designing a weapon, which is different from firing a weapon. Each may draw the line as they see fit though.
- falcor84 8y ago
  Agreed. And in this particular case, they're not even transporting weapons, right? I don't see this as being too different than a paper products company supplying notebooks to the military.
  - JshWright 8y ago
    In this case they're not doing anything for the military. This payload was a commercial communication satellite. SpaceX has only done a small handful of DoD/NRO missions.
    - Robotbeat 8y ago
      ...and in each of those cases, they were not weapons.
      - toufiqbarhamov 8y ago
        Just the devices used to choose targets. It seems like splitting hairs when you effectively don’t build guns, you just build gunsights to use a metaphor. Note that I’m in favor of supporting the military, but I’m not in favor of pretending that support however it comes about doesn’t ultimately connect to killing people.
        Robotbeat 8y ago
        I mean, GPS, too, right? I think you've exaggerated the definition to well beyond reason.

Shivetya 8y ago

growing up watching flash gordon, buck rogers, to thunderbirds, and more, it feels as if all the Saturday morning TV is now real.