I can't wait for more rockets to refly (New Glenn, Neutron, Stoke Nova) so ULA can get left in the dust for not innovating. The natural lifecycle of MBA megacorps like ULA's parents needs to end once they've milked it dry and refused to invest.
How come I can't get paid $400k to spit out some AI slop
I started following Falcon launches when they were being reused a single time (2016-17ish), and I remember wondering how far they could take the block 5 Falcons once they started to get reused more than once. They've come an incomprehensibly long way since then!
This is stunning footage. The heat shield discoloration from the test tiles and missing tiles is so clear. They finally got their heat shield test data!
The blown apart base of the fin into the engine bay looks much worse compared to the stream.
You have to raise the price or you won't seem legit
Flashbang to get rid of stowaways
Yeah, wtf was that? Engines still relit for the ship's landing/splashdown burn, so, we're good, but, wtf
The hinge didn't burn through in the middle, so that's progress? And it kept controllability all the way down, enough to still do the landing flip and burn.
Honestly you only have to trick a couple Congressmen with these and SLS is as good as dead
My heart says yes. My brain says no.
What
Go skim the wikipedia page for Falcon 9. Rocket Lab is nowhere close to SpaceX. Once Neutron starts launching, Rocket Lab will almost catch up to SpaceX's launch capabilities... 15 years ago.
I wonder if 50 will happen before the Falcon fleet starts to lose Starlink launches to Starship. I feel like 30-40 might be the max because of that.