{"id":2376,"date":"2015-12-23T12:34:46","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T20:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/?p=2376"},"modified":"2015-12-23T12:34:46","modified_gmt":"2015-12-23T20:34:46","slug":"what-goes-up-must-come-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/","title":{"rendered":"What Goes Up Must Come Down"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Vertically landing rockets have been a staple in science fiction for a long time:<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-3071 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/destination_moon_467a1\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/destination_moon_467a1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/2b56eebfde97be71a48c2103d1b1037e\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2b56eebfde97be71a48c2103d1b1037e-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/15737c558bf5ea8dfbbee79d39508c7f\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/15737c558bf5ea8dfbbee79d39508c7f-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/f4d6af2be0f22848f2c18afc3bb0bb7d\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/f4d6af2be0f22848f2c18afc3bb0bb7d-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/8456a520106d7f3249e5bde7db3d7152\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/8456a520106d7f3249e5bde7db3d7152-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/cce48333d11d0f658c8284481a71d947\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/cce48333d11d0f658c8284481a71d947-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/freetrader-1\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/freetrader-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/rocket-tailfin\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/rocket-tailfin-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/2015\/12\/23\/what-goes-up-must-come-down\/197766d8ae11d547763a94aa9848edf8\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/197766d8ae11d547763a94aa9848edf8-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>And in the\u00a01960s, Wernher von Braun&#8217;s Saturn team was already intensely thinking about outfitting future versions of the Saturn V with reusable stages. Among the many concepts\u00a0studied were a\u00a0winged flyback version and a parachute-assisted return. Unfortunately, these ambitions never went beyond the drawing stages. While closing down the Apollo program, NASA made the fateful (and as we now know, mistaken) decision to pursue the Space Shuttle as NASA&#8217;s exclusive launch vehicle. The vehemently protesting Wernher on Braun was sidelined and &#8220;kicked up&#8221; into a senior administrative position\u00a0with\u00a0little real decision making power. (Disappointed and unsatisfied, he left NASA a few years later).\u00a0Since then, astronauts have been confined to low Earth orbit, going essentially nowhere but in circles.<\/p>\n<p>It took almost five decades for the reusable rocket concept to return and become reality, and it was neither NASA nor any other national space program, but two private companies which accomplished the first proof-of-concept.<\/p>\n<p>In November 2015, Blue Origin had successfully landed an experimental test rocket at its launch site in West Texas. It plans to use the rocket again. And on December 21, 2015, California based SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket to space while returning and landing the rocket&#8217;s 1st stage to the launch site for a powered, vertical landing. \u00a0For the first time a rocket has been successfully landed during a commercial satellite launch.<\/p>\n<p>The concepts used by the two companies are very different, as illustrated here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/ATkpdAX.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2386 size-large aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/ATkpdAX-1024x576.png\" alt=\"ATkpdAX\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/ATkpdAX-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/ATkpdAX-400x225.png 400w, http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/ATkpdAX.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nThe end\u00a0result result of the SpaceX flight is\u00a0certainly stunning and resembles what science fiction described so many decades ago:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/75561_1130233000355218_4847124781773873099_n.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2388 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/75561_1130233000355218_4847124781773873099_n.jpg\" alt=\"75561_1130233000355218_4847124781773873099_n\" width=\"450\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/75561_1130233000355218_4847124781773873099_n.jpg 960w, http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/75561_1130233000355218_4847124781773873099_n-400x250.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nIt now remains to be seen if recovering and refurbishing an entire rocket stage and its engines is indeed cheaper than building a new one &#8212; something that hasn&#8217;t been tried on a commercial scale. But if Wernher von Braun was right (and he usually was), this should be the way to go.<\/p>\n<div id=\"apf_post_footer\">\n<h4>Related Articles:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"apf_footer\"><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/?p=3449\">A Space Poster With Mysterious Origins<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"apf_footer\"><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/?p=3428\">Did Rocket Pioneer Robert Goddard Ever Work On Mount Wilson?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"apf_footer\"><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/?p=3208\">Size Comparison<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"apf_footer\"><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/?p=3178\">Don&#8217;t Believe It When You See It<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"apf_footer\"><a href=\"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/?p=3071\">Apple Music Classical<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vertically landing rockets have been a staple in science fiction for a long time. And in the 1960s, Wernher von Braun&#8217;s Saturn team was already intensely thinking about outfitting future versions of the Saturn V with reusable stages. It took five decades for the reusable rocket concept to return and become reality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1,24,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english","category-uncategorized","category-spaceflight","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2390,"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376\/revisions\/2390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reinhardkargl.com\/iBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}