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Re:SpaceX launch webcast: Orbcomm-2 Mission [video] by mikeash on Monday December 21, 2015 @10:15PM (#10775577)
Hopefully it won't be anything like the Shuttle. The Shuttle was bleeding edge in a dozen different ways. The engines were extremely high performance and that made them fragile.

SpaceX seems to build things a lot more low-key. They don't use fancy propellants, their engines aren't particularly efficient, and overall they seem to go more for robustness and simplicity.

(Simplicity doesn't really apply for a crazy-ass landing scheme. But aside from that....)

Obviously it remains to be seen, but I think it's likely to be a lot more gas-and-go than the Shuttle.

Re:SpaceX launch webcast: Orbcomm-2 Mission [video] by gozur88 on Wednesday December 23, 2015 @07:36PM (#10786461)
Yes, I expect you're right about that, and furthermore I expect SpaceX will be willing to make substantial design changes in support of that effort.