[amsat-bb] Dragon first stage recovery?

[Alan]

Paul et al,

Thanks for the link.  Apparently it IS as difficult as I thought to do it as sea.  If I were on the 
welding team, I would be looking over my shoulder at the rocket, just in case. :)  It will be 
interesting to see what they do once this moves from proof of principle to operational.  Being SpaceX, 
it will be undoubtedly innovative and efficient.

73s,

Alan
WA4SCA


<-----Original Message-----
<From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Paul Stoetzer
<Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 7:57 AM
<To: Alan Biddle <APBIDDLE at mailaps.org>
<Cc: amsat-bb <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
<Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Dragon first stage recovery?
<
<Alan,
<
<From Spaceflight Now:
<
<"SpaceX technicians stationed on a boat near the drone ship planned to
<weld steel shoes over the rocket?s four carbon fiber and aluminum
<landing legs to keep the 156-foot-tall stage from tipping over.
<
<The recovery crew will safe the rocket, drain it of hazardous fluids
<and gases, and set course for Port Canaveral, the drone ship?s home
<base. Musk said the vessel is due to arrive some time Sunday.
<
<Once it is back in port, ground teams will retract the booster?s
<landing legs, rotate it horizontal and drive it to a SpaceX facility
<at nearby Cape Canaveral ? likely launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space
<Center ? for hotfire tests, Musk said.
<
<?Our plan is to basically fire it 10 times in a row on the ground,?
<Musk said. ?If things look good at that point, then it?s qualified for
<reuse and launch. We?re hoping to re-launch on an orbital mission
<probably around ? June.?"
<
<https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/08/spacex-lands-rocket-on-floating-platform-after-station-
<resupply-launch/
<
<The plan for re-using it on an orbital mission around June is
<interesting. Perhaps Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D will be on a historic
<launch?
<
<73,
<
<Paul, N8HM
<
<On Mon, Apr 11, 2016 at 8:15 AM, Alan <wa4sca at gmail.com> wrote:
<> Is there any information on how they are going to secure the first stage for return?  Doing so on 
land
<> is, as such things go, trivial, but on an autonomous ship in rough waters adds many complications.
<>
<> 73s,
<>
<> Alan
<> WA4SCA
<>
<>
<>
<>
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