Re:SpaceX's Grasshopper Successfully Flew 325 Metres
by InclinedPlane on Saturday July 06, 2013 @07:53PM
(#6000489)
Almost all of the cost of orbital launch is tied up in manufacturing cost and operational complexity. Fuel cost is about $200k for each Falcon 9.
The most important factor in reusability is making sure that the vehicle gets back to someplace convenient without any significant damage. If you crash-land using parachutes somewhere in the ocean or in a desert, that's not going to happen. So you need a controlled landing at a prepared site. The overhead necessary to return to the original landing site is generally more than made up by the fact that you get the rocket back exactly where you need it within a matter of hours and without any damage other than the normal wear and tear caused by every flight.
The most important factor in reusability is making sure that the vehicle gets back to someplace convenient without any significant damage. If you crash-land using parachutes somewhere in the ocean or in a desert, that's not going to happen. So you need a controlled landing at a prepared site. The overhead necessary to return to the original landing site is generally more than made up by the fact that you get the rocket back exactly where you need it within a matter of hours and without any damage other than the normal wear and tear caused by every flight.