SpaceX successfully catches both fairings from a launch
Capitalism in space: For the first time SpaceX yesterday successfully caught both fairings halves in the nets of their ships as they floated down to the ocean on their parasails.
Previously they have mostly plucked the fairings from the sea, though they have caught a few in the netting of the ships. To catch both simplifies the preparation for the next flight enormously, as they never touched the water.
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Capitalism in space: For the first time SpaceX yesterday successfully caught both fairings halves in the nets of their ships as they floated down to the ocean on their parasails.
Previously they have mostly plucked the fairings from the sea, though they have caught a few in the netting of the ships. To catch both simplifies the preparation for the next flight enormously, as they never touched the water.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
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Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
I recall that during the NASASpaceflight.com webcast yesterday, the point was made that the fairings were to be plucked from the water, that NO attempt would be made to catch them in a net. Obviously a pretty substantial error in their reporting.
Note: I did not stay with the webcast, and instead switched to Spacex’s own coverage, which I prefer, before the launch. So it is possible that information was later corrected.
A short piece of video with highlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeEecVZbL4A
Looks like the ‘chutes auto-detach when the fairings hit the net, very slick! Now, if they could only recover the parachutes after landing…
Just quickly reel in the lines on one side. Will collapse the cute.
Congratulation to SpaceX on another successful milestone. Its amazing what can be done when vision, engineering and ambition are combined.
I’m sure the answer is No. To make sure I have not missed an announcement, is any of the SLS going to be recovered for future flights?
jfm asked: “I’m sure the answer is No. To make sure I have not missed an announcement, is any of the SLS going to be recovered for future flights?”
You are right about the answer being “no.” Even the solid rocket boosters, which were reused on the Space Shuttle, will not be reused. The cost of refurbishing them saved little money, so instead of learning from the experience, SLS is a throw away rocket.