Timeline for How is the Falcon 9 aerodynamically stable while ascending?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Dec 5, 2017 at 0:15 | vote | accept | Nathanael Vetters | ||
| Jun 26, 2017 at 17:13 | comment | added | David White | As previously stated, the rocket has gyroscopes on it. This allows a control system to "know" the attitude of the rocket at all times during launch. Such a system provides very fast feedback control to the rocket engines in order to correct for rocket attitude errors in real time. In other words, an "open loop" device that is a bit unstable can be made stable with the proper "closed loop" process control system, as evidenced by launches of the Falcon 9 rocket. | |
| Jun 26, 2017 at 8:57 | answer | added | Peter Kämpf | timeline score: 3 | |
| Jun 23, 2017 at 17:11 | comment | added | Nathanael Vetters | I suppose the sheer length is helpful. (thanks Alfred) When landing, it has grid fins deployed and most weight in the bottom so it is easily stable. While ascending, I suppose it simply relies on computer guidance systems, and the fact that it isn't too terribly unstable. | |
| Jun 22, 2017 at 22:24 | comment | added | Alfred Centauri | @JonCuster, if I remember correctly from my model rocket adventures decades ago, the center of pressure needs to be behind the center of gravity for stability, i.e., moving the center of gravity towards the top increases stability on ascent. I seem to recall (from experience) that longer rockets needed less fin area than shorter rockets. | |
| Jun 22, 2017 at 21:40 | comment | added | Jon Custer | I might have thought that a large heavy fairing/payload on top and light engines at the bottom would be much less stable. | |
| Jun 22, 2017 at 20:20 | comment | added | Qmechanic♦ | Would Space Exploration be a better home for this question? | |
| Jun 22, 2017 at 20:20 | history | edited | Qmechanic♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Jun 22, 2017 at 20:15 | comment | added | Cort Ammon | I'll leave it to the aero engineers to give a complete answer, but I would note that it has enough control systems to fly backwards in order to land. | |
| Jun 22, 2017 at 20:06 | history | asked | Nathanael Vetters | CC BY-SA 3.0 |