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Permanent decrease in launch mass is big money, whereas complications on the barge do not really matter. Like all good engineering problems, it only looks probl

Permanent decrease in launch mass is big money, whereas complications on the barge do not really matter. Like all good engineering problems, it only looks problematic at first sight and I am sure that SpaceX could rise up to the challenge. Use a big funnel mesh? However, I accept the comment that perhaps they are really practising for landings on Mars, where fair number of probes have overturned on landing.

JshWright 10y ago
> Use a big funnel mesh? I'm not sure you realize just how fragile the stage is. The side walls are made of _very_ thin aluminum. Any landing support mechanism must put the impact force on the 'octaweb' structure that supports the engines. That's the advantage of the legs. They can be engineered to distribute the force exactly where they want it. A significant problem with any sort of "catching" mechanism is that the load on the stage is far less predictable.
- andygates 10y ago
  ...or how big it is. That's a 12 storey empty beercan, on fire, hurtling in from space. Any catching hack would require the stage to slow down anyway.
  - Klathmon 10y ago
    [1] is the picture that finally gave me a sense of scale for this thing... [1] http://i.stack.imgur.com/FYvrC.jpg http://i.stack.imgur.com/FYvrC.jpg