This toy SpaceX rocket is (almost) as hard to land as the real Falcon 9

Do you know how hard it is to land a SpaceX rocket in the ocean on a barge? No, you don’t. Nobody does except SpaceX — but you could recreate their efforts with a drone and a swimming pool, if you wanted to.

One enterprising soul did just that, strapping what looks like a used(?) hobby rocket body to a small drone to replicate the SpaceX Falcon 9. It even has deployable landing gear!

The landing pad is basically a floating piece of wood(?), dressed up to look like a real ocean-going barge.

Sounds simple, right? I can’t even keep a real drone from hitting trees and walls, so maybe not. The person who made the video also had a few failed attempts. Rockets, man — they’re just not easy.

Still, it’s a neat video, and you should watch it. And if you’re one of the cool kids, try making your own SpaceX rocket out of a DJI Phantom, 55-gallon drum and the hood of a Buick floating in the pool at your local High School.

Then we’ll talk rocket science.