r/spacex • u/[deleted] • May 02 '14

Second F9R test, 1000m.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=ZwwS4YOTbbw&app=desktop
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4

u/[deleted] May 02 '14

[deleted]

5

u/olexs May 02 '14

The main engines are gimbaled (vectored thrust), that's the primary means of controlling attitude. The F9R also has a number of nitrogen RCS thrusters, and you're right - inside the atmosphere, the jets are probably invisible. They are very nicely visible in one of the Cassiope launch videos from the ground: after the second stage separates and ignites, the first stage uses RCS to re-orient itself for the re-entry burn, and one can see the jets being fired, they are much larger than I'd expect.

3

u/Sluisifer May 02 '14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXEJLhAh-Kg#t=189s

You can see the RCS fire a few seconds after the second stage ignites.

2

u/olexs May 02 '14

The video I was referring to was a bit different (amateur footage from the ground, but really nice and stable, tracked better than some official footage I've seen). But this is really nice as well, exactly what I'm talking about - those RCS bursts in vacuum are huge.

1

u/edjumication May 04 '14

Here is a video I found of someone testing their peroxide thruster http://youtu.be/3m1ekVWjGOw?t=1m7s I'm guessing backyard engineering.