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How much weight would be such an anchor to hold down something as large as a rocket? Wouldn't you have to launch that into space, too?
by keehun 13y ago
How much weight would be such an anchor to hold down something as large as a rocket? Wouldn't you have to launch that into space, too?
- lmm 13y agoSea anchor, i.e. something like a parachute that drags through the water, so it can be made of light materials.
- lutusp 13y agoA sea anchor is a pretty lightweight device whose purpose is to create some drag against the water when the wind blows. It can take the shape of a small parachute, but in the water, at the end of a long line. The idea is when the wind blows, endangering the booster, the sea anchor will force the booster to point directly into the wind, thus minimizing wave damage. > Wouldn't you have to launch that into space, too? Yes, which is definitely a drawback -- every ounce that isn't payload is regarded as a serious waste, because it all has to be launched at great cost (the ratio of payload to fuel is often greater than ten to one). On the other hand, the SpaceX people report that the booster was destroyed, so this well-tested idea is very likely in their minds right now.
- ericcumbee 13y agoProbably not going to happen since the ultimate goal is return to launch site.
- lutusp 13y agoYes, that's the goal, a descent to land instead of water. One hopes SpaceX will be granted permission to move ahead with that scheme instead of having to perform more tests into water. I'm sure there are safety concerns that have prevented this until now. The successful retro-file to zero velocity over water may help resolve those concerns.