HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

SpaceX can and will land on land when the mission allows it. See ORBCOMM-2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANv5UfZsvZQ

Blue Origin's mission allows it because it's suborbital. That is: it doesn't actually go anywhere other than straight up. That's also why they can launch in the middle of Texas.

⬐ gus_massa

This is a video of December 2015 of the landing of the rocket on land (not on the drone ship). I think it would be better to add "(Dec 2015)" to the title to avoid confusions with a new landing.

⬐ edwinespinosa09

Shit wrong youtube vid. Here is the correct live cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5bTbVbe4e4

⬐ None

None

Being a small drop in a big glass of water comes with its own, albeit different, motivation. Small projects that one person, or a small group of people, can fully own are necessarily limited in scope.

Personally, I don't dream of having full ownership of my own successful little project nearly so much as I dream of playing a relatively small, but necessary, role in a big ambitious project. For me, this[0] is the dream. Look at all those elated drops of water! I think the Fleet Foxes put this pretty well in "Helplessness Blues": "after some thinking, I'd say I'd rather be a functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me".

Having said all that, my point isn't that all big projects are better; obviously not every project is literal rocket science, and all else equal I find ownership more motivating as well, it just isn't the only thing that can be motivating.

[0]: https://youtu.be/ANv5UfZsvZQ?t=127

⬐ mattbeckman

Damnit, Jim. That's my dream too.

All my entire career I've only worked for small biz companies. I've never cared to become a droplet until SpaceX rolled around. I went through the entire interview process, but didn't get an offer. The tour itself was worth it. :)

⬐ DrScump

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10894426

⬐ DrScump

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10894426

⬐ netinstructions

If you haven't been following SpaceX since this landing, they're planning on doing a static fire of this returned first stage as soon as Thursday[1]. Then it'll probably end up in a museum somewhere - they won't attempt to fly this one.

Their next few launches (the first could be as soon as this Sunday Jan 17)[2] will probably involve landing attempts on a barge in the ocean since they are launching heavier satellites and won't have enough fuel to boost all the way back to land.

[1] https://twitter.com/flatoday_jdean/status/687284449151709184

[2] http://www.americaspace.com/?p=90612