Busy times in Space last week. Apart from launches by Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Astra, ULA & Roscosmos, two missions came back with samples from outer Space. The Chinese Chang'E5 mission brought back some Lunar samples (see below) after almost a month in Space, and the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission delivered grains of the Asteroid Ryugu (see above) after being out there for 6 years! Both missions will provide better insights in how the Solar System was created some 5 billions years ago. Very impressive efforts that were concluded successfully!
That was such an amazing event. Wow.
It's hard to grasp just how big that thing is. It's big.
Yes it was! Literally a blast! I am really a cheerleader of SpaceX, the only thing I don't believe is that such a rocket is going to replace transatlantic airplane flights.
I don't think it will replace flights - but the wealthy may use it to do 30 minute hops to the other side of the world. It will be hyperloop for the rest of us peons.
Imagine a hyperloop from Asia to USA. 4000-7000 km/h. Make the trip in under 2 hours. And no more polluting marine containerships. Wow.
But I wonder if on average you will really safe time. It is not an airplane that you can top of with kerosene, and then wait for 0.5 hour and then go. The fueling of cryogenic O2 and CH4 is a meticulous process that will never become similar to topping an airplane of with kerosene. If one valve gets stuck in the rocket or in the fueling GSE, and they do that all the time at cryogenic temperatures, you have an instant delay of a few hours, and away is your time saving.