It was an historic rocket, but its successor will be much more so.
6 thoughts on “Falcon 9”
Here’s the rub. There’s no recovery drone ship for Starship. It will either have to RTLS, which is currently not possible for the Cape assuming the SuperHeavy booster has to be recovered there.
That leaves the current requirement that Pad 2 at Boca Chica remain open for that purpose. Once Pad 1 becomes operational again you could leave either open. Until a 2nd tower is built at the Cape.
For Boca Chica launches, once Pad 1 becomes operational again you have both pads open for full recovery or use the tower at the Cape to recover one or the other. I’m assuming cross range (both longitudinally and latitudinal) for the SuperHeavy isn’t large enough to allow boost-back to the Cape from BC, but I could be mistaken.
SpaceX is going to build two special towers at Pad 37 just for Starship recovery. There will also be two launch pads there plus another at Pad 39b. Add in two more towers at Starbase and eventually another at Vandenberg in another year or two. It looks like SpaceX is going all in on infrastructure.
Here’s the rub. There’s no recovery drone ship for Starship. It will either have to RTLS, which is currently not possible for the Cape assuming the SuperHeavy booster has to be recovered there.
That leaves the current requirement that Pad 2 at Boca Chica remain open for that purpose. Once Pad 1 becomes operational again you could leave either open. Until a 2nd tower is built at the Cape.
For Boca Chica launches, once Pad 1 becomes operational again you have both pads open for full recovery or use the tower at the Cape to recover one or the other. I’m assuming cross range (both longitudinally and latitudinal) for the SuperHeavy isn’t large enough to allow boost-back to the Cape from BC, but I could be mistaken.
For an orbiting Starship you have some time to move the booster off the tower to free it for recovery. What a problem to have no?
It will be good practice. How many times a day do you think they could cycle Mechazilla?
SpaceX is going to build two special towers at Pad 37 just for Starship recovery. There will also be two launch pads there plus another at Pad 39b. Add in two more towers at Starbase and eventually another at Vandenberg in another year or two. It looks like SpaceX is going all in on infrastructure.
“Was I a good rocket?” “No, you were the best rocket…”
And at least 2 towers in Louisiana for refueling tankers.