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When they recover their first 1st-stage, I'm curious what they will do with it. Use it on a self-funded test launch, or use it on a customer's launch, or just l
by AYBABTME 12y ago
When they recover their first 1st-stage, I'm curious what they will do with it. Use it on a self-funded test launch, or use it on a customer's launch, or just leave it there and look at it?
- coob 12y agoTake it apart and examine it I would imagine.
- lmm 12y agoProbably each of those in some order. The first few recoveries will just be for taking apart and analysing, but at some point they'll be launching them; I believe they're already asking around for a customer willing to launch something (at a heavy discount) on a second-hand rocket, but I wouldn't be surprised if the very first reuse launch was self-funded.
- mrfusion 12y agoBuilding up a fuel depot in orbit would be a good use of used rockets at first. That way if something goes wrong all you lose is fuel.
- phkahler 12y agoThey will likely get a call from the Smithsonian at some point. Tear it down, maybe test some parts, put it back together, and ship it to D.C. You'll be able to look at it and watch video of the launch and landing right there.
- simonh 12y agoI'm going to disagree with most of the other replies to this. I don't think they will keep/dismantle the first recovered stage. I'm sure they'll examine it minutely, but the whole point of this is to re-use rockets. My guess is that as long as the stage appears to be in working order they will want to actually do that as soon as possible. It's how Musk rolls.