CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., June 25 (UPI) — SpaceX have destroyed two reusable rocket prototypes. The crash landings have been well documented. The aerospace company will once more attempt to land a rocket on a floating platform this Sunday, June 28.
SpaceX isn’t masochistic. They just really believe in reusable rocket technology.
“We’re not doing this just to produce cool videos,” the company clarified in a new blog post. “Our goal is to radically reduce the cost of accessing space by producing a fully and rapidly reusable rocket system.”
The new blog post — titled “The Why and How of Landing Rockets” — offers an extended look at what went wrong during their last attempt to land the first stage of their Falcon 9, as well details on how they’ll avoid the same pitfalls on Sunday.
“About 10 seconds before landing, a valve controlling the rocket’s engine power (thrust) temporarily stopped responding to commands as quickly as it should have,” SpaceX explained.
The delay in throttling down and in executing the commands necessary for a safe landing cause the rocket to come in just a little too hot and slightly off-kilter — causing it to topple over. Otherwise, it was an ideal descent and landing.
“Post-launch analysis has confirmed the throttle valve as the sole cause of this hard landing,” the company stressed. “The team has made changes to help prevent, and be able to rapidly recover from, similar issues for the next attempt.”
SpaceX is schedule to launch its ninth Dragon space capsule via a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:21 a.m. EST on Sunday, from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
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