5 ms·
This isn't my area of expertise and what you've said certainly makes sense, however from my understanding ship-to-ship, or in this case ship-to-barge, boardings
by Inconel 10y ago
This isn't my area of expertise and what you've said certainly makes sense, however from my understanding ship-to-ship, or in this case ship-to-barge, boardings at sea aren't without their own inherent risks.
It could be that having the first stage untethered is deemed less risky to personnel than having a team of welders board the barge and tie it down.
- nkurz 10y agoIf they don't need it, they don't need it, but I wonder if there would be any other way do the secure the rocket without requiring welders to board the barge. Coat the deck with solder and put heaters in the feet to attach? A robotic Roomba-style welder? Giant arms that rise up to clasp the rocket regardless of the exact landing position? Fun to think about...
- dmihal 10y agoMaybe something with magnets?
- sandworm101 10y agoThe key is movement. Doing something like moving objects from one ship to another is pretty standard, but only in good conditions and normally not when the ship is moving. The rocket may well be safe to stand on the ship at the moment it lands. The conditions at that moment are good enough to make the choice to do the move. Once it is on the ship, that choice is over. Conditions change, most dramatically in that the stationary ship is going to drive away to port. Not bringing the object aboard is no longer an option, as it was prior to the rocket landing. Under those conditions the cargo has to be secured not against current conditions, but against all possible conditions.
- Inconel 10y agoThanks for the clear explanation.