| nsmca@aurora.alaska.edu writes: |
| [Excellent discussion of DC-X landing techniques by Henry deleted] |
| >Since the DC-X is to take off horizontal, why not land that way?? |
| The DC-X will not take of horizontally. It takes of vertically. |
| >Why do the Martian Landing thing.. |
| For several reasons. Vertical landings don't require miles of runway and limit |
| noise pollution. They don't require wheels or wings. Just turn on the engines |
| and touch down. Of course, as Henry pointed out, vetical landings aren't quite |
| that simple. |
| >Or am I missing something.. Don't know to |
| >much about DC-X and such.. (overly obvious?). |
| Well, to be blunt, yes. But at least you're learning. |
| >Why not just fall to earth like the russian crafts?? Parachute in then... |
| The Soyuz vehicles use parachutes for the descent and then fire small rockets |
| just before they hit the ground. Parachutes are, however, not especially |
| practical if you want to reuse something without much effort. The landings |
| are also not very comfortable. However, in the words of Georgy Grechko, |
| "I prefer to have bruises, not to sink." |
| Josh Hopkins jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu |
| "Tout ce qu'un homme est capable d'imaginer, d'autres hommes |
| seront capable de la realiser" |
| -Jules Verne |
|
|
