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Helicopter proposed for midair first-stage recovery of the Saturn 5 (2008)
- FatalLogic 12y agoCompared to this, the SpaceX solution to first stage recovery looks remarkably simple and elegant. If the proposed design had been built, then the helicopter and payload would have had a combined weight of about 500 tons - about 10 times the largest helicopter in regular service, the Mi-26
- ColinWright 12y agoIs this the same thing discussed at length here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9372913 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9372913 I'm mobile so can't easily compare.
- FatalLogic 12y agoIt's not the same thing, although it's a similar idea. The difference is the concept you linked to only attempts to capture and re-use the engines, not the entire first stage. And, it's a current proposal, not one from the 1960s.
- ColinWright 12y agoAh - thanks.
- Lambdanaut 12y agoThis is relevant now because of the United Launch Aliance's proposed method for capturing the first-stage engine block of their new Vulcan rocket. We've captured missile payloads falling back to Earth using helicopters many times, so this isn't anything uniquely innovating, though hopefully it'll give the ULA a good return on investment, something that'll give SpaceX a run for it's money. The ULA has been openly pessimistic about the ROI for recovery, so it begs the question of why they're even trying this in the first place. The reason is that SpaceX has forced them to. If the ULA doesn't have something to show investors, then they're going to be in trouble. Heirs to even more hairbrained recovery schemes in the near future! This is great stuff!