Worldwide rocket launch schedule for 2013.

[astropapi1]

Hey guys, I discovered this website and thought you would like it:

http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/

There's cool stuff going on this year, like an indian mars orbiter launching in October, An atmospheric probe to the Moon on September (yes, our moon has a very thin atmosphere, deal with it), and the upcoming Falcon9 launches, in which they will test their first stage crashes soft landings.

It's a good year for rocketry!

PS: Mods, I couldn't decide between the prefixes "flight" and "space", edit at will.

[bigdad84]

I can't wait to see the first stage Falcon 9 soft landings

[astropapi1]

Me either!

Edited August 26, 2013 by astropapi1

[Kerbface]

First stage soft landing? That's the grasshopper right?

[astropapi1]

First stage soft landing? That's the grasshopper right?

Nope, that's just a testbed for the technology they will use on the Falcon9's first stage.

[nhnifong]

Since the only stated physical difference between grasshopper and the 1st stage of a F9-R is the legs, are they really planning on using those big fixed legs on real thing, or will they design some folding deployable aerodynamic legs? Why aren't they already doing that?

Also, if their guidance software is as good as they say it is, they ought to just skip the legs and land it right on the launch clamps.

Edited July 29, 2013 by nhnifong

[Mr Shifty]

Isn't Chang'e 3 supposed to launch this year for the first soft landing on the moon since 1976?

[bigdad84]

Since the only stated physical difference between grasshopper and the 1st stage of a F9-R is the legs, are they really planning on using those big fixed legs on real thing, or will they design some folding deployable aerodynamic legs? Why aren't they already doing that?

Also, if their guidance software is as good as they say it is, they ought to just skip the legs and land it right on the launch clamps.

Landing on the clamps.... wouldn't that be something!

On the other hand they will have deployable landing legs...

[astropapi1]

Isn't Chang'e 3 supposed to launch this year for the first soft landing on the moon since 1976?

Yep, it'll launch on december.

[nhnifong]

Holy crap those legs are huge!