SpaceXがFalcon 9の垂直着陸を成功させた！宇宙へ打ち上げられて地上へ戻った！
SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket after launching it to space
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posted with amazlet at 15.12.22
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully landed upright on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, Florida this evening, after traveling into space and back. It's the first time SpaceX has been able to gently touch down the Falcon 9 post-launch — something the company has been trying to do for the past year. It’s a big first step toward reusable rockets.
SpaceXのFalcon 9ロケットが、一旦宇宙へ旅立った後、フロリダのケープ・カナベラルの地上への垂直着陸を成し遂げた。 Falcon 9が打ち上げ後に、厳かに地上へ静かに降り立てたのは、これが初めてのことです。 同社は昨年から挑戦し続けていました。 これは、ロケット再利用へ向けての大きな最初の一歩です。
This launch was also the first time SpaceX has flown since June, after one of its Falcon 9 rockets exploded en route to the International Space Station. Now this return-to-flight mission has made history — no one else has ever landed a rocket that has gone as deep into space as the Falcon 9.
この打ち上げは、SpaceXにとって、そのFalcon 9 ロケットのひとつが、国際宇宙ステーションへ向かう途中で爆発した、6月以来の初飛行でもあった。 いま、このフライトへの帰還 ミッションは、歴史を作ったのだ。 他の誰も、深宇宙へ飛び立ったロケットを地上へ着陸させたものはいない。それは Falcon 9 の偉業だ。
IT’S A BIG FIRST STEP TOWARD REUSABLE ROCKETS
As big as this is for SpaceX, it's not the first time a vertical take-off rocket has landed upright after launching into space. In November, Jeff Bezos’ private spaceflight company Blue Origin announced that it had landed its rocket New Shepard post-launch. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is more complex than New Shepard: it’s designed to go higher in space, and much faster.
SpaceXにとって、これは大きい。垂直に離陸したロケットが打ち上げられて宇宙へ行ってから縦に着陸したのは、今回が初めてではない。 11月に、ジェフベゾスの個人的な宇宙旅行企業であるBlue Originが、その New Shepardロケットを打ち上げ後に着陸させたと発表しました。 （しかし）SpaceXのFalcon 9ロケットは、New Shepardよりも、さらに複雑なのです。宇宙のさらに高いところまで行くように設計されており、とても高速です。
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※ Blue Originの実験成功とSpaceXの今回の成功が如何に比較できないかが説明されています。
Right now, all rockets that travel into orbit are either destroyed or lost after taking off. It's something that drives up the cost of spaceflight; an entirely new rocket must be built for each launch. But if SpaceX can routinely reuse its rockets, the company saves the cost of manufacturing new vehicles for follow-up missions. That could make spaceflight a lot more affordable.
SpaceX has tried this landing twice before. In January and April, the company attempted to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 — a 14-story tall portion of the rocket body — on a floating platform out at sea. The rockets fell over and exploded both times.
So tonight’s landing may be due to some changes since those two attempts. The most obvious change is that today’s landing attempt is on solid ground, rather than at sea — a floating ship is a smaller and more unpredictable target. That’s not all, though. SpaceX introduced an updated version of the Falcon 9, informally named the Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust. This version of the rocket has a modified structure and an updated engine, that's supposed to provide more thrust.
If SpaceX can routinely reuse rockets, that may force change in the whole private space industry. SpaceX CEO Musk noted that it costs $16 million to manufacture the Falcon 9, but only $200,000 to fuel. Eliminating a $16 million expense could drastically bring down launch costs.Competing launch providers may have to explore reusable rockets as well to compete with SpaceX on future contracts.
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