Rockets are huge, complex machines that are propelled into space. Their manufacturing requires a lot of funds and hard work by the engineers. As such, you may wonder whether rockets are reusable.
Most conventional rockets are not reusable because of the safety and cost challenges they pose (as was experienced during the launch of the Space Shuttle). But there are commercial companies like Space X that have recently manufactured reusable rockets like the Falcon 9.
In this article, we’ll talk about whether rockets are reusable and the future of reusable rockets.
Are Rockets Reusable?
Throughout the course of space history, there have not been a lot of reusable rockets. However, this is changing because of the development of reusable rockets by commercial businesses such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Since SpaceX was founded in 2002, two of its major accomplishments have been launching satellites into orbit and delivering supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) on behalf of NASA.
The Falcon 9 from SpaceX is a two-stage rocket that was meant to deliver payloads as well as carry humans into space. Both the smaller heavy-lifter Falcon 9 and the bigger heavy-lifter Falcon Heavy (which employs three Falcon 9 rocket boosters) have the goal of returning their lower rocket stages straight either to the surface of the earth or to a drone ship out at sea. Just before touching down, four legs made of lightweight carbon fiber will extend, each of which will have a shock-absorbing device built into it to cushion the impact.
Why Reusable Rockets Are Not Common
The failure of the Space Shuttle to demonstrate the viability of reusable rockets has contributed to the widespread lack of interest and skepticism surrounding the technology.
The government, the general public, and the aerospace industry were all led to believe that the Space Shuttle was going to be an economical and reusable spacecraft that would also be capable of regular and risk-free flight. It was expected to make disposable rockets irrelevant by launching satellites, constructing the space station, and performing all of the scores of other duties that it was geared toward completing at a lesser cost than rockets that got tossed away after every flight.
However, the Space Shuttle program did not turn out to be cost-effective or risk-free, and the most flights that were successfully completed with each orbiter were approximately once every six months. It served a few specific purposes, but because of the extremely high complexity of its design and the significant amount of maintenance and repair work that was required between flights, the unit actually ended up being more expensive per launch than the disposable rockets that it was intended to replace.
Because of the Space Shuttle, conventional aerospace businesses generally adhere to the school of thought that it is just not going to be possible to manufacture a reusable rocket at a cost that is acceptable to buyers.
It was also thought that companies would never be able to compete with conventionally used rockets due to the higher initial manufacturing costs, the lower total number of flights as a result of market saturation, and the high maintenance expenses.
There were numerous industry studies, in-depth presentations, and articles that proved this, with the majority of them using the Space Shuttle as an example of what the financial viability of a reusable launch rocket might look like.
This accepted view did not begin to shift until SpaceX successfully developed rockets that could be manufactured in large quantities, purchased at a low cost, and maintained easily after use. Even back then, there were others who predicted that SpaceX would never be successful, claiming that if we were to examine their “real” expenses, it would become clear that they were conducting business in a way that turned out to be more expensive.
Those voices have gradually started to dwindle away, and now some members of the conventional aerospace school are genuinely beginning to look into reusable rocket projects at last.
How Did Space X Make Reusable Rockets?
SpaceX ended up going in a direction with its design that no one had ever truly considered going in before. A crucial part of their design was the invention of engines that could consistently be restarted multiple times during a mission and deep throttled while maintaining sufficient thrust and efficiency to be usable as the primary launch engines.
In addition, their design required some really good computer systems that could consistently land vertically, utilizing the same engines that were used for the liftoff.
Because of this fact alone, it is clear that they do not require specialized landing engines (or, even worse, wings or parachutes), but rather only a little bit of extra fuel to facilitate landing along with a few landing legs.
The Advantages of Reusable Rockets
The most obvious advantage of a reusable rocket is the reduction in cost. It should come as no surprise that it is far more cost effective to repair and relaunch an existing rocket rather than construct a brand new one; in fact, it can be up to 65% less expensive and have a 30x lower cost overrun.
Comparatively speaking, reusable rockets are more beneficial for the environment because they consume significantly less fuel than their disposable counterparts.
These qualities, in turn, bring down the cost of launching rockets, which paves the way for a wider variety of businesses to participate in the market. For instance, a new company in the satellite industry would have a lot easier time securing funding for its launch on a reusable rocket, especially considering that launchers can provide compartmented payload space.
Last but not least, there is the advancement in launch and landing technology that has been made possible by reusable rockets. These rockets require extremely sophisticated navigation systems; SpaceX’s rockets can land on ships with a high degree of precision, which has been demonstrated on multiple occasions. This might also allow us to refuel and take a break on different planets before continuing our exploration of space.
The Disadvantages of Reusable Rockets
Obviously, every system has some flaws that make it less than ideal. The payload capacity of reusable rockets is significantly lower than that of traditional rockets.
They also have to be constructed to withstand the challenges of launch and re-entry, which necessitates the addition of more stabilization fins as well as other pieces of equipment. This results in heavier rockets.
Before every launch, reusable rockets are required to undergo refurbishment and testing. It is true that these procedures demand both time and resources in order to guarantee that the launchers meet the necessary criteria. Nevertheless, there is a clear reduction in the amount of time and resources required compared to the construction and launch of disposable rockets.
Conclusion
To summarize, traditional rockets are not reusable because there has been a long-standing skepticism surrounding the technology. However, the future of reusable rockets looks pretty bright, keeping in mind the invention of reusable rockets like the Falcon 9.
We can soon expect to see many companies joining the industry with their own prototypes of reusable rockets. As time passes, the technology will improve, and reusable rockets might just become the norm.
