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SpaceX - Falcon Heavy


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1 hour ago, 11bee said:

Call me a nerd but this is absolutely amazing.  Successful launch and all three boosters landed as planned.   Good to see the US still leads the world in some areas.

That is totally awesome!!
Here is one showing close ups of booster return.

 

 

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2 hours ago, 11bee said:

Call me a nerd but this is absolutely amazing.  Successful launch and all three boosters landed as planned.

Yay! And thanks for the link, Nerd!
😁
I suppose pretty near everyone here is by definition a nerd of some level or flavor or they wouldn't have put out the effort to find and register for this forum.

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The technology itself is amazing but another aspect that sets these guys apart is the video "product" they put together for the launches.   Young announcers, cheering technicians in the background, multiple hi-def videos from various angles, the flight data "dashboard", etc.   Compare that to the stodgy coverage that Russia, NASA and United Space Alliance put out for their launches. 

 

It's definitely a new era in space flight and it's getting us closer to the day that we can finally end our ridiculous (and grossly overpriced) reliance on Russia for transport of astronauts to the ISS.   Going to be a happy day when the west finally stops subsidizing the Russian space program. 

 

See the source image

 Looks like something from a cheap sci-fi movie!

Edited by 11bee
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When I was in college (back in the 70s) we had to solve what’s called the “inverted pendulum” control problem using analog “computing” circuits to balance a simple yardstick. We only had to solve the problem in one axis, along a sliding rail. This Space-X feat involves solving the problem in 3 axes while also solving the challenge of vertical velocity and precision guidance AND the variable mass of the “yardstick”. As an engineer I am impressed. 

 

Here’s a video of an inverted pendulum demonstration involving more computing power than I dared dream of 40+ years ago. 

 

 

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