History Making First Recovery for SpaceX - Orbcomm-2 Launch

[AudubonB]

...Half to imagine there some competitors that are possibly a bit more worried about competing after tonight.

As far as I'm concerned, it's not so much competitors as it is the bloviating Senator Shelby who deserves something crude involving that booster and the more eloquent portion of his anatomy.

 

[JenniferQ]

Amazing night. Wow! Just wow...

 

[Todd Burch]

This was so awesome to watch live!

Does anyone know how far downrange the first stage went before it turned around?

 

[MikeL]

Such a fantastic night. By the way, all of it occurred as to close to smack-dab just at the precise time of the winter solstice as possible (that was at 11:49EST). So a brand new year and a brand new era.

When Jenny asked me whether they would just re-fill the booster and pop another load on it, I first said that they likely would tear it down utterly to learn all they could....but, because of its historic nature, it belongs at the Air & Space Museum.

Agree w all that. Love the solstice thing, hadn't thought of that. And haha every tweet to Bezos is some version of "you suck dude", while every one to SpaceX says "yeah! Alright! Way to go" (of course:smile kind of restores hope in my old cynic heart.

 

[AudubonB]

And THIS shows how eloquent and meaningful a single photograph - no words - can be:

 

[hockeythug]

I cried too. So amazing. That simple picture of stage 1 on the landing pad is so simple and so important. I badly want to know what condition it is in. Does anyone know what the plan is for the first "used" rocket? Think they will just refurb and do a test launch with no payload?

Musk made comments during the post flight news conference and said they are saving it. Like the first Dragon that came back from orbit that is currently hung from the factory ceiling.

 

[JenniferQ]

Tears. SO MUCH MATH. How do they do that? Mind blown. Wow. History.

 

[dsm363]

Agree. These kinds of moments are special so great to watch it live.

 

[donv]

Tremendous achievement. I watched it live as well. Congratulations to Elon, Gwynne, and the entire SpaceX team!

 

[Patrick W]

I enjoy the friendly competition. Heck the more competition among commercial space providers the sooner the price will come down to where I will be able to afford a ticket.

Jeff Bezos' congratulatory rocket landing tweet to SpaceX is actual, clinical shade
Jeff Bezos congratulatory rocket landing tweet to SpaceX is actual, clinical shade | The Verge

 

[Vger]

To me what is really incredible is how many things they did new on this flight and ALL of them worked!

1. Super-chilled fuel
2. Total redesign of 2nd stage
3. Eleven (!) satellites launched from one platform
4. And of course, the spectacular landing!!!

So, so happy for the whole team. I thought is was great for Elon to have so many of his young brilliant crew do the pre-flight briefing. That whole thing should be watched in every science classroom around the world!

 

[Nikxice]

I was awestruck by the successful return landing of the Falcon 9. Studying the somewhat dark, motionless, vertical first stage, I contemplated how the imaginations of sci-fi pioneers have inspired our efforts to reach into Space. Chesley Bonestell and his painting "Conquest of Space" stands tall tonight!

Chesley Bonestell | Lines and Colors :: a blog about drawing, painting, illustration, comics, concept art and other visual arts

 

[austinEV]

Musk made comments during the post flight news conference and said they are saving it. Like the first Dragon that came back from orbit that is currently hung from the factory ceiling.

This times article says they plan to refly it:Log In - The New York Times

 

[Electroman]

I was almost jumping and screaming when it landed. I am not sure the John Doe on the street and even the press has understood what a significant achievement is this.

 

[thecloud]

Congratulations to everyone at SpaceX for this historic achievement!

I don't think Mr Bezos deserves fathoms of slack, but I do think it's payback for the tweet Mr Musk sent him not many weeks ago. Am I wrong?

In tonight's episode of THE SPACE RACE, the part of the USSR will be played by Jeff Bezos. USA! USA!

Seriously, though: when you have a competitor/adversary threatening to beat you at something, it forces you to raise your game. Maybe a factor in helping SpaceX stick the landing tonight was the motivation and pressure that comes from that competition?

 

[Dzanda]

Spectacular!!!

WAY TO GO, SpaceX!!

:biggrin: This is truly a HUGE achievement! Congratulations to all! :biggrin:​

- - -

 

[dogphlap]

Great news for SpaceX and the rest of us.
The tweet "Another view of Falcon 9 first stage approaching Landing Zone 1 " has an image that shows the 1st stage landed dead centre on the concrete pad.
This whole thing has been brilliant.

 

[Canuck]

Such great news. I'm really sorry I missed it live.

 

[rolosrevenge]

So sad I missed it live. But I feel that this is on par with the moon landing in terms of significance. It's a very good time to be alive.

 

[doug]

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