<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Giulio Prisco via extropy-chat<br><b>Cc:</b> Giulio Prisco <giulio@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] 60% go for launch<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>>>…If the weather holds, Space-X will make history today: the first private company to launch proles into orbit. Current forecast, 60% chance for a go. Launch scheduled for 16:33 EDT. Good luck, Elon!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>…Kudos to Elon for getting this far. I'll be glued to the screen… Giulio<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Giulio, there’s another reason I am really cheering for SpaceX. In the rocket world, we have long known it is expensive as all get out have one-use rockets. If they are solids, you might have the option of dropping them into the sea and recovering, then refurbishing, but that isn’t a great option, and doesn’t work with liquid stages, which are huge investment in each.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the controls world, we realized back in the 80s that a fly-back first stage landing on its own feet had become technologically feasible, but NASA being the ever-cautious government body, never chose that option. That feet-first landing business was ever so much more dignified than having to be fished out of the sea. From a controls perspective, oh my what a marvelous feat it is. I went most of my adult life hoping someday we would see someone somewhere try it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Well, here we go.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have friends who still work out at the cape. I talked to one yesterday, who is my age and lived right there the whole time, in the 60s. He has seen it all, and definitely agrees: seeing two liquid boosters come down feet first and land next to each other is the coolest thing he ever saw. As a controls engineer, I can never get enough of it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>