What SpaceX just did with Falcon 9 Droneship is Unusual...

on December 5th SpaceX carried out another Falcon 9 launch a routine feat by now however something unexpected caught everyone's attention during the boosters landing on the Drone ship a burst of water sprayed upward that was the water Deluge system in action while this feature is a more familiar site in Starship operations its appearance on Falcon 9's ocean Landing platform form as a game changer hinting at exciting potential for spacex's technological advancements this Innovation puts SpaceX leagues ahead of its competitors especially blue origin which recently announced an oddly vague and underwhelming upgrade to their own drone ship system so why is SpaceX implementing the water Deluge system here how will it evolve moving forward and why does blue Origins system struggle to match spacex's Brilliance stay tuned as we explore these questions in today's episode of great SpaceX you may already know about the water dillu system installed on the Starship Launchpad introduced after the challenges of flight one the system has played a pivotal role in supporting subsequent flights however until recently it was absent from the falcon9 program that changed during the December 5th Landing of booster b1077 on the just read the instructions drone ship this event marked a significant Milestone the 19th Landing of this particular booster the 100 successful Landing of jrti and the 380th overall recovery for SpaceX interestingly this Landing also showcased the first use of a water dagee system on a falcon 9 drone ship Landing through careful observation I noted that the water spray was moderate initiating 2 seconds after the booster's landing legs deployed and continuing for about 5 seconds before touchdown and engine shutdown the system installed near the booster's landing position appears to comprise for water pipes Falcon 9 which has been in operation for nearly 15 years has relied on two primary Landing methods returning to designated Landing zones and vertically landing on drone ships vertical Landings on drone ships became a reality on April 8th of 2016 when SpaceX achieved its first success with this method since then they've completed more than 300 such recoveries yet despite these achievements the use of a water Dage system during the December 5th Landing is a groundbreaking devel vment for Falcon 9 operations so why did SpaceX implement this system now the answer is straightforward it's about protection and Longevity while the thrust during Landing is less intense than during liftoff the heat and pressure generated are still significant enough to potentially damage the Drone ship's Surface by spraying water during Landing SpaceX minimizes heat and pressure impacts safeguarding both the booster and the landing platform some may argue that adding this system seems unnecessary especially since drone ships like jrti have have operated without major issues since 2016 however I believe this upgrade will enhance the Drone ship's longevity and reliability SpaceX is rapidly increasing its launch Cadence Falcon 9 already the most flown rocket of 2022 saw an even sharper rise in launches in 2023 and has already exceeded 120 launches this year with such a heavy workload wear and tear on the Drone ships are inevitable making preventative measures like the water dagee system essential what's particularly notable is that the system appears to use potable water instead of seawater this Choice makes sense as sea water's corrosive properties could harm both the Drone ship and the booster over time the water is likely inspected and replaced when the Drone ship returns to port for booster refurbishment this upgrade underscores spacex's commitment to continuous Improvement not only are they increasing the number of Landings but they're also making those Landings safer and more efficient it's worth noting that this decision likely stems from lessons learned during a few challenges SpaceX faced this year including a landing issue in August of 2024 as launch frequencies continue to rise so too do the risks enhancements like the water Dage system help mitigate these risks ensuring smoother operations in the future are you as excited about this new SpaceX upgrade as I am if so let's hear a resounding great landing in the comment section down below and don't forget to like And subscribe to our channel to stay updated on spacex's remarkable Journey Beyond Falcon 9 it's entirely plausible that we'll see this system expanded to support Starship operations after all the water Del system has already proven its Effectiveness with Starship launches applying it to Starship Landings particularly on drone ships is a logical Next Step as SpaceX increases its launch frequency in the coming years alternative Landing methods may be required to complement the mechazilla catch system Landing Starship on drone ships has already been discussed in Environmental assessments for operations in Florida and Texas however adapting this method to Starship will be a more complex challenge due to its massive size and power consider the scale of Starship the full stack will stand 150 M tall with the super heavy booster alone reaching 80 M and the ship adding another 70 M the thrust of a single Raptor V3 engine will soon reach 280 tons with a 330 ton version already planned these enormous forces will demand larger drone ship equipped with even more robust Water deluche Systems additionally Starship stages will require significant design modifications such as adding Landing legs to make this method feasible despite these challenges I have no doubt that the SpaceX team will rise to the occasion with ample time to refine the system on Falcon 9 they can methodically adapt it for Starship for now the priority remains stabilizing superheavy Landings with the mechazilla arm and perfecting ship Landings using the same system once these Milestones are achieved deploying drone ships for Starship Landings will likely become a serious consideration SpaceX continues to redefine the boundaries of possibility and the introduction of the water Dill system for Falcon 9 Landings is yet another step forward this Innovation not only ensures the safety and efficiency of current operations but also lays the groundwork for even more ambitious Endeavors in the future indeed the advancement of spacex's Landing systems continues to solidify its dominance over competitors including blue origin which is also working on a landing system for its drone ship despite not yet launching a single rocket blue origin has developed a system designed for landing its new Glen booster introduced in September of this year the system named jacine was initially met with enthusiasm however progress on this system has been minimal and recent updates have only raised skepticism blue Origins CEO Dave limp recently shared an image of a platform built on the Drone ship providing some insight into the system in his update limp explained one cool system on jacn is our recovery remotely operated vehicle or ROV that connects to new Glenn's reusable booster stage immediately after landing this connection provides power communication and neumatic links between the booster and the platform the ROV has a footprint similar to an F-150 truck but is considerably taller standing around 14 ft tall when the manipulator arm is raised during Landing it's operated from a support vessel 5 to 10 nautical miles away from jacin he also confidently claimed our seab based Landing platform for new Glenn is one of the largest remotely operated vessels in the world adding what's great about this setup is that it greatly speeds up Mission turnaround times and keeps the crew safer while these updates sound impressive on paper they expose underlying challenges and potential pitfalls based on observations this platform is likely intended for booster refurbishment the booster would land similarly to SpaceX Rockets be lifted into the platform and undergo partial refurbishment during its return to the mainland at first glance this seems Innovative but upon closer inspection the plan appears fraught with inefficiencies and risks for one this approach requires additional systems aboard the Drone ship such as lifting mechanisms and pneumatic setups refurbishing while the platform is in transit is inherently risky as motion introduces instability blue origin's focus on speeding up turnaround times seems to be complicated their process unnecessarily in contrast spacex's streamlined system where the booster lands on a drone ship and is then transported for referment on land is far simpler and more efficient another significant issue is precision Landing a rocket on a drone ship is already a formidable challenge one that SpaceX has mastered but that remains untested for blue origin adding a complex platform along with other structures such as small offices already visible on Jaclyn only increases the risk risk the risk is compounded by the fact that new Glenn has yet to fly meaning there is no proven reliability in his navigation or Landing systems attempting a drone ship landing on its maen flight is a high-risk proposition and adding further complexity increases the chance of failure the size of the platform also raises concerns at 14 ft or 4.2 M tall the ROV platform is significantly shorter than the 189 ft tall or 57 1/2 M Newland booster this disparity heightens the risk of instability during Transportation if the system isn't robust enough to securely hold the booster it could topple causing extensive damage to the vehicle blue origin faces major challenges before implementing its recovery system starting with launching new Glen successfully their focus should be achieving a reliable launch and orbital insertion before tackling complex landing and refurbishment processes while their ambition to rival SpaceX in reusability is clear prioritizing rapid turnaround and Advanced systems over fundamentals risks further setbacks to contribute meaningfully to the evolving Aerospace industry blue origin must reassess its priorities for now the gap between them and SpaceX remains significant with their ability to close it uncertain in any case folks that's about it for today's episode thank you so much for tuning in and as always this has been Kevin from great SpaceX until next time keep looking up