Orion
Nuclear bombs in space, die-hard WALL-E fan.
Modder
Team Judge
TEAM HAWK
Swingin' on a Star
Atlas
Fly me to the Moon
Under Pressure
Registered
No one seems to do this one...
For mine, I ruled out replaceable parachutes instantly (too much work), as well as propulsive landing (needs too much fuel, not enough time for the second stage to get to orbit), and went with airbrakes:
Near the top of each stage are grid fin looking solar panels I've bp edited to be very big, and nicely storable, like reusable parachutes. When extended, they create enough drag to slow the first stage to about 25 m/s under 9000m altitude, and the second stage to about 19 m/s under 1000m. Slow enough to get the second stage to orbit before the first stage executes a rapid landing, and slow enough a short burn right before touchdown makes landing easy.
Anyway, here's my first launch:
Launchpad, with retrieval equipment:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6,5, 4, 3, 2, 1, liftoff!
2nd stage separation, 1st stage airbrake deployment:
2nd stage in orbit, but the 1st stage is close to burning up; a quick deceleration burn fixes that, thank goodness:
1st stage leveled out, ready for landing:
1st stage landing burn:
Landed, airbrakes stowed:
2nd stage burned to get a more or less circular orbit, for satellite release:
Fairings open, satellite released:
2nd stage burn to land near 1st stage:
Deploying airbrakes:
At a manageable velocity, still decelerating:
Landing gear deployed:
Landed!
Ready for retrieval and stacking:
Retrieval and possibly second flight tomorrow.
For mine, I ruled out replaceable parachutes instantly (too much work), as well as propulsive landing (needs too much fuel, not enough time for the second stage to get to orbit), and went with airbrakes:
Near the top of each stage are grid fin looking solar panels I've bp edited to be very big, and nicely storable, like reusable parachutes. When extended, they create enough drag to slow the first stage to about 25 m/s under 9000m altitude, and the second stage to about 19 m/s under 1000m. Slow enough to get the second stage to orbit before the first stage executes a rapid landing, and slow enough a short burn right before touchdown makes landing easy.
Anyway, here's my first launch:
Launchpad, with retrieval equipment:
2nd stage in orbit, but the 1st stage is close to burning up; a quick deceleration burn fixes that, thank goodness:
1st stage leveled out, ready for landing:
1st stage landing burn:
Landed, airbrakes stowed:
2nd stage burned to get a more or less circular orbit, for satellite release:
Fairings open, satellite released:
2nd stage burn to land near 1st stage:
Deploying airbrakes:
At a manageable velocity, still decelerating:
Landing gear deployed:
Landed!
Ready for retrieval and stacking:
Retrieval and possibly second flight tomorrow.