SpaceX’s Grasshopper Blasts Off, Hovers, and Lands Again
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Space
At first I didn’t understand why SpaceX was obsessed with developing vertical landing technology when a winged landing seems so much simpler and easier. I still don’t, not completely.
It could be the design compromises you have to make to give an object sufficient wingspan would be prohibitively expensive or detrimental to functionality in the long run. Or maybe it’s about being able to perform landings in a variety of atmospheres.
Either way, this is badass.