3 ms·

Apparently no one told that to Elon.... It may have been German mad-scientists who pioneered sending rockets to space, but I think you actually have to be more

Apparently no one told that to Elon.... It may have been German mad-scientists who pioneered sending rockets to space, but I think you actually have to be more crazy to think you can bring them back down again and land them in one piece! (Not that it has stopped Musk from doing just that...)

stavros 4y ago
I'm fairly sure someone did, as his rockets do have enough thrust to fly.
eesmith 4y ago
https://curious-droid.com/1107/vertical-landing-rockets-before-spacex/ https://curious-droid.com/1107/vertical-landing-rockets-befo... > You may well be forgiven for thinking that rockets which take off vertically and then land again vertically were a recent development by the likes of Blue Origin and SpaceX but a quick look back the history of rocketry and you’ll see that this technique is far from new and was first used nearly 60 years ago ... > The image of rockets landing vertically on their tail fins has been popularised in Science fiction since buck Rodgers in the early 1930’s, though it took nearly 30 years to bring the technology to a point where it could be used practically ... > The first instance of a rocket-powered vertical take off and vertical landing was shown in 1961 with the Bell Rocket belt. ... > But within a few years there would be a rocket-powered vertical take off and vertical landing vehicle that would be a total success and be seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world. > That vehicle was the Apollo lunar lander, a design that was used in the most inhospitable place man had even been to and worked without fail on six separate missions. ... > It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that the first true vertical take-off and vertical landing rocket was seen in the form of the McDonnell Douglas Delta Clipper Experimental or DC-X. Video of the DC-X from 1995, launching and landing, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9n9Casp1o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9n9Casp1o .
palata 4y ago
Technically Musk paid people to do it. Pretty sure he doesn't know how it works.

stavros 4y ago

I'm fairly sure someone did, as his rockets do have enough thrust to fly.

eesmith 4y ago

https://curious-droid.com/1107/vertical-landing-rockets-before-spacex/ https://curious-droid.com/1107/vertical-landing-rockets-befo... > You may well be forgiven for thinking that rockets which take off vertically and then land again vertically were a recent development by the likes of Blue Origin and SpaceX but a quick look back the history of rocketry and you’ll see that this technique is far from new and was first used nearly 60 years ago ... > The image of rockets landing vertically on their tail fins has been popularised in Science fiction since buck Rodgers in the early 1930’s, though it took nearly 30 years to bring the technology to a point where it could be used practically ... > The first instance of a rocket-powered vertical take off and vertical landing was shown in 1961 with the Bell Rocket belt. ... > But within a few years there would be a rocket-powered vertical take off and vertical landing vehicle that would be a total success and be seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world. > That vehicle was the Apollo lunar lander, a design that was used in the most inhospitable place man had even been to and worked without fail on six separate missions. ... > It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that the first true vertical take-off and vertical landing rocket was seen in the form of the McDonnell Douglas Delta Clipper Experimental or DC-X. Video of the DC-X from 1995, launching and landing, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9n9Casp1o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9n9Casp1o .

palata 4y ago

Technically Musk paid people to do it. Pretty sure he doesn't know how it works.