Comments on: Data now suggests that SpaceX successfully achieved a controlled landing of its Falcon 9 first stage on Friday.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 19:17:36 +0000

Gwynne Shotwell for President

By: Tom Billings

Tom Billings — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 21:22:46 +0000

SpaceX has repeatedly spoken of flying back the first stage to the launch site from downrange. Even the Falcon9R first stage needs to re-enter far below orbital velocity to keep from breaking up on re-entry with a propulsive re-entry. Thus, it will not ever come close to a single complete orbit.

It is the *second* stage that will make at least one full orbit, and then re-enter with a heat shield on its front end to bring it down at the launch site. Given Earth’s rotational velocity under the vehicle’s orbital plane, this may tak 24 hours or more to line up with the launch site again.

By: Pzatchok

Pzatchok — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 14:27:24 +0000

It would be nice to know exactly how close they came to hitting their planned landing spot?

Something that will have to be done if they plan on setting a landing zone someplace and hitting it in the future.

I also wonder just how short they are of making a single complete orbit? Something that will have to be done if they ever plan on landing back at their launch site.