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[email protected] writes: |
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[Excellent discussion of DC-X landing techniques by Henry deleted] |
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>Since the DC-X is to take off horizontal, why not land that way?? |
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The DC-X will not take of horizontally. It takes of vertically. |
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>Why do the Martian Landing thing.. |
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For several reasons. Vertical landings don't require miles of runway and limit |
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noise pollution. They don't require wheels or wings. Just turn on the engines |
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and touch down. Of course, as Henry pointed out, vetical landings aren't quite |
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that simple. |
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>Or am I missing something.. Don't know to |
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>much about DC-X and such.. (overly obvious?). |
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Well, to be blunt, yes. But at least you're learning. |
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>Why not just fall to earth like the russian crafts?? Parachute in then... |
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The Soyuz vehicles use parachutes for the descent and then fire small rockets |
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just before they hit the ground. Parachutes are, however, not especially |
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practical if you want to reuse something without much effort. The landings |
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are also not very comfortable. However, in the words of Georgy Grechko, |
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"I prefer to have bruises, not to sink." |
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Josh Hopkins [email protected] |
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"Tout ce qu'un homme est capable d'imaginer, d'autres hommes |
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seront capable de la realiser" |
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-Jules Verne |
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