Re:SpaceX Grasshopper Flies High
by mikeash on Tuesday April 23, 2013 @06:28PM
(#5598382)
Or put it another way, parachutes are generally less effective than using a system you already have for other purposes. A parachute probably beats a rocket engine if your only task is landing, but when you already have the rocket engine, you're better off using it for landing than building a completely separate landing system.
In short, same basic reason why we use wings and wheels to land airplanes rather than dropping them from a parachute when they reach their destination.
In short, same basic reason why we use wings and wheels to land airplanes rather than dropping them from a parachute when they reach their destination.