Now you know why Rage was not very well optimised. I'd say it was worth it.

why whould you want this? carry 2 times the fuel - better to have a bigger payload and parachutes.. gravity is free

better to have a bigger payload and parachutes

You can't use parachutes to land on the moon nor for a soft landing on mars.

but we have landed on moon....

With a parachute?

and parachuted to mars.

Not for the final stage of landing - the atmospheric density is too low for parachutes to do much then.

If you think a rocket is too complex for landing, then seeing how the next Mars rover is meant to land will blow your mind:



last edited by parabol at 01:49:43 12/Oct/11

gyroscopes up until some point and readings off them?

One of my friends worked on that mars lander at NASA I think, heh.