P1_5 Sinking Spaceships

Authors

  • Lisa Reed University of Leicester
  • Amber Fitzpatrick
  • Phoebe Vanderpump
  • Hannah Mahon

Abstract

In this paper, we investigated the buoyant force acting on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster in the ocean if instead of landing successfully on the ocean platform, it had missed it’s target and sunk to a depth of 1000m and whether this force is greater than the rocket’s weight. If the buoyant force is greater than the rocket’s weight, it would rise to the surface and float allowing for easier recovery. We found a buoyant force of 7.4 MN (2 s.f) compared to a weight of 5.4 MN (2 s.f) meaning the rocket would float.

Published

16-12-2022

How to Cite

Reed, L., Fitzpatrick, A., Vanderpump, P., & Mahon, H. (2022). P1_5 Sinking Spaceships. Physics Special Topics, 21(1). Retrieved from https://journals.le.ac.uk/index.php/pst/article/view/4186

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2022): Physics Special Topics

Section

Articles