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from the close-enough-for-government-work dept.
Blue Origin is now the first company to launch a rocket above the Karman line, land it safely, then relaunch it a second time. According to this blog post on Blue Origin's web site, the New Shepard booster that was used in the November 2015 launch was reused for a new launch on January 22, 2016. The blog post has some interesting information about the reuse and some of the adjustments they have made to the return and landing algorithms.
The very same New Shepard booster that flew above the Karman line and then landed vertically at its launch site last November has now flown and landed again, demonstrating reuse. This time, New Shepard reached an apogee of 333,582 feet (101.7 kilometers) before both capsule and booster gently returned to Earth for recovery and reuse.
Data from the November mission matched our preflight predictions closely, which made preparations for today's re-flight relatively straightforward. The team replaced the crew capsule parachutes, replaced the pyro igniters, conducted functional and avionics checkouts, and made several software improvements, including a noteworthy one. Rather than the vehicle translating to land at the exact center of the pad, it now initially targets the center, but then sets down at a position of convenience on the pad, prioritizing vehicle attitude ahead of precise lateral positioning. It's like a pilot lining up a plane with the centerline of the runway. If the plane is a few feet off center as you get close, you don't swerve at the last minute to ensure hitting the exact mid-point. You just land a few feet left or right of the centerline. Our Monte Carlo sims of New Shepard landings show this new strategy increases margins, improving the vehicle's ability to reject disturbances created by low-altitude winds.
(Score: 4, Informative) by pTamok on Monday January 25 2016, @09:18AM
Yes, Falcon's engines, even at minimum power, will accelerate the (almost) empty stage back up again. Falcon has to achieve zero speed at zero altitude. It can't hover - at best, it could yo-yo. Falcon can achieve orbit and launch satellites. New Shepard cannot achieve orbit. It can just get above the Karman altitude, which is an arbitrary designation. Achieving orbit is more rigorous test.
That said, building a vehicle that can be re-used and exceed the Karman altitude is a major achievement. I still want to see a Falcon re-used.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Monday January 25 2016, @11:44AM
So does Elon Musk.
I guess getting to the Karman line could allow cheaper tickets for "space" tourism, although safely putting passengers in a reusable vehicle is a milestone on its own.
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