Engineering Challenges

Marvels of Engineering

Some of the more recent challenges of landing reusable rockets originate from the last couple of seconds before “touch down” back on Earth’s surface.

From each design competition to collaboration and launch failure to success, the dedication, perseverance, and motivation towards a common goal is a crucial aspect to the recent development of the next generation of rocket technology. With recent innovations and countless iterations from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others, it is vital to recognize the unique roles that private spaceflight companies have in ultimately pushing the industry forward.

Source: SpaceX – Falcon Heavy Test Flight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbSwFU6tY1c)

Challenge #1

How to quickly reduce the rocket’s velocity to zero and reorient the rocket into the desired position.

Solution: Reusable rockets will conduct multiple re-entry burns, which will ultimately decrease the velocity of the incoming rocket. Where typical grid fins are ineffective, the rocket will go through a process known as thrust vectoring in order to correct for changes in the rocket’s angle relative to Earth.

Challenge #2

Connecting the rocket back on the launch pad and knowing where the rocket is at all times.

Solution: SpaceX, among others, utilize drone ships to ensure that they can land their reusable rocks on both land and water-bound areas. Knowing where the rocket is at any given location is resolved with the addition of a GPS, or Global Positioning System. In addition, rockets utilize the essential Inertial Navigation System, or INS, through data from a whole host of sensors piped into various powerful computing systems. One application of this incoming data would be to calculate vector velocity, or the speed and direction of the rocket, among a plethora of other data points.

Challenge #3

Improving the overall propellant efficiency of the rocket and keeping the total weight to a safe, minimum amount.

Solution: Designers and engineers have to create solutions around a whole host of variables to ensure a successful launch. Due to the astronomical cost of getting payloads into orbit (approximately $10,000 per pound), one might want to consider how to make other aspects of the rocket more stable at higher speeds. This is where most of the innovation comes into action. SpaceX, for example, uses titanium grid fins to improve aerodynamics, reduce the total drag coefficient, and avoid unintended consequences such as shock waves when flying back to the landing location.