Was it me, or did that capsule land extremely hard?

Cool technology demonstration.

~jr

I thought the same John, the footage seems slowed down of the capsule hitting the ground.
The dust cloud shooting away usually suggest hard landings.

The rocket itself landed much softer. I am not sure if that is an emergency option or that the capsule will be on the rocket in the final flight when landing.

VMP

Pfffft ... i've been doing soft ground landings with Estes (TM) Rockets since the 1960's. ;)

I would think capsule separation would be the norm. I doubt the rocket is intended to stay with the capsule for the entire mission. It's just getting the capsule out there and then coming right back for refueling for the next mission.

So I assume that the point is to give space tourists a great ride. One comment, though: I don't understand the point of those giant observation windows assuming the capsule is pressurized (which I gathered from the image of the guy pressing his face against the glass). If so, then such large windows must be amazingly thick and heavy. But maybe I'm missing something.

This only proves "You Only Live Twice" was a true story. Blofeld had it right.

Glass has come a long way in the past few decades. The screen on my cellphone is tougher glass than the windows of the space shuttle. For that matter, from what i've read recently, transparent aluminum has actually been invented now.

If it is indeed aimed at tourists then the big windows make a lot of sense. How pleased would a bunch of tourists who paid a ton of money be if all they had were a few tiny portholes and had to keep pushing each other out of the way to get a glimpse?

I think I'll ride back with the rocket. Capsule looked like it might hurt. I'm gonna guess it will be a more controlled gentler landing with people on board! j m

I have seen footage of similar rockets before, there have been companies testing rockets that take off, fly a distance and then come back to land very close to where they departed from. Might have even been these people, although I suspect a fair bit of what is in the footage is CGI.

I'll wait until they offer free rides for Amazon Prime subscribers.

@VMP

"I think this is the first time ever rocket landing."

Actually it is not. Look up DC-X (1996)

Bezos and Musk do not offer new technology just cheaper production and commercialization/marketing of old space technology.

@ dancerchris
Interesting!



VMP

Chienworks,

i've been doing soft ground landings with Estes (TM) Rockets since the 1960's. ;)

That sounds interesting, how did you control the angle of thrust back then? With RC control?
And how do you monitor if there is enough thrust to make the landing?

I have build and flown RC helicopters and hexacopters, but a rocket is something else.


VMP

There was no thrust on reentry. The rockets are light enough that a simple parachute is sufficient to provide a soft and safe landing. Sometimes they'd even end up upright on their launch fins!

I was just tongue-in-cheeking that my landings were neither in water nor destroyed the rocket. ;)