December 2, 2015 at 18:05

SpaceX is preparing to land a rocket on land

    The first stage of the Falcon 9 will be planted on Cape Canaveral



    Launch Complex LC-39A, SpaceX

    On Tuesday, a representative from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported interesting news regarding private space launches. The next launch of SpaceX will end with an attempt to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Landing Complex 1.

    SpaceX is trying to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket for reuse on subsequent launches. If this operation can be worked out, then the launch cost will fall by an order of magnitude, SpaceX claims.


    An ambitious plan is faced with harsh reality. So far, no attempt has ended successfully. The first turned into a hard fall : in the hydraulic drive of the trellised rudders, with which the step controls the decline, the working fluid is over. The second attempt also led to destruction . In both cases, the payload was successfully withdrawn, and landing the first stage was only a side task. For example, when launching on February 12, they refused to practice landing due to bad weather . Infographics about the process of landing the first stage of the Falcon 9 on a sea barge. A future attempt will differ only in the length of the maneuver to return and the landing site. A large picture is available by click.




    On June 28, Falcon 9 for the first time in the history of its service was unable to deliver a payload: the rocket exploded 2 minutes 19 seconds after launch. The Dragon ship with the cargo for the International Space Station was lost, people were not injured. From that moment on, the SpaceX missile fleet has been on the joke. The reasons for the failure are still being clarified. According to the preliminary version , the boost tank with helium exploded .

    It is not known when the next launch of the Falcon 9 rocket will be carried out. So far there are only options that are being considered: this is December 15 this year . And if earlier automation planted the first stage of a rocket on a deserted barge on the high seas, now SpaceX has been entrusted with doing this at a special complex on Cape Canaveral.


    It’s clear where the first stage landing will take place: at Landing Complex 1. This site was previously called Launch Complex 13 , was the launch pad and was subordinate to the US Air Force. In January 2015, the missile system came under the control of the company Ilona Mask as part of a five-year lease. A huge cross has already been drawn at the site, indicating where the aircraft will land.


    Animation of the construction process of Landing Complex 1 according to satellite imagery (without a cross)
    Pictures on TerraServer

    If the landing is successful, the first step will be transferred to the LC-39A platform. This object has a rich history: from it, Saturn-5 rockets sent people to the moon, and for many years after that, the spaceport was used to launch shuttles. Last April, SpaceX leased the site from NASA for 20 years. The shuttle service tower will be removed and handed over to NASA. Earlier reports claimed that the Rotating Service Structure would remain in place.

    Position of objects at Cape Canaveral

    Schematic position of objects. It is easy to find the LC13 (future landing site) and the LC-39A, where the first stage will be investigated in the event of a successful landing.

    Recently , the founder company Amazon managed to land the rocket . Elon Musk congratulated Jeff Bozos, although he hinted at the difference between the projects of Blue Origin and SpaceX.
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