JF Mezei submitted this gripping article, maybe on Monday:
On 15-01-10 17:47, Greg (Strider) Moore wrote:

"Grid fins worked extremely well from hypersonic velocity to subsonic, but
ran out of hydraulic fluid right before landing," Musk wrote on Twitter.

I looked at the apcex web site, saw nifty pictures and heavy
html/javascript, but no description on how stage 1 lands.

Does anyone know of some web site (or provide explanation here) of the
principles involved in the tube landing upright ?

Does the return involve powered flight for most of the way, including
horizontal flying or is this just a cut the engines, drop down
vertically, and then light engines to land type of deal ?

Are parachutes involved to slow down and give the tube vertical
orientation ? Or is it all done with fuel/aerodynamics ?

"ran out of hydraulic fluids". Wouldn't hydraulics normally be in a
closed loop system where there is no loss ?

URL:http://justatinker.com/Future/
has a graphic (referenced by NBCNEWS.COM)
indicating 3 burns. Durations are not shown.

The tests with Grasshopper and F9R-Dev1 should give an approximation of
the landing burn, though.

/dps

--
But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason
to 'be happy.'"
Viktor Frankl