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It looked like one of the grid fins got toasted. Will they still be able to stick the landing? fingers crossed edit: and they did it! I was pessimistic for a m

by themgt 10y ago

It looked like one of the grid fins got toasted. Will they still be able to stick the landing? fingers crossed edit: and they did it! I was pessimistic for a minute there!

cmsimike 10y ago
I saw that! I wonder if it was from the entry burn. I was worried because as I saw the fin get toasted, the video cut out, but that was because stage 1 went trans-sonic.
- JshWright 10y ago
  The video cut out because the stage fell below the horizon (from the perspective of the tracking station on the Cape).
hwillis 10y ago
Someone on reddit said it was an ablative coating. This was also a heavy launch, so it's not surprising they'd be hitting the atmosphere faster.
ygra 10y ago
The grid fins are painted with ablative paint that's supposed to burn away while protecting what's underneath. Same with the legs. But they do suffer damage during re-entry as could be seen on photos of them from previous landed boosters. I'm fairly sure that's all expected and accounted for.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  The legs are only flown once and are replaced in their entirety, they take the brunt of the impact from landing and may suffer non-elastic deformation.
  - ygra 10y ago
    I didn't say the legs were going to be re-used. I just said they were painted in a way that the paint can burn away, just like the grid fins. If you're coming down through your own exhaust you don't want to risk damaging the things you land on a few meters above the ground.
vermontdevil 10y ago
Musk has said SpaceX is working to replace the material with titanium and a new redesign.
- jessaustin 10y ago
  Haha everything is better in titanium.
- Cogito 10y ago
  Specifically, in the post launch press event, he mentioned titanium cast grid fins a number of times. The video I saw [1] didn't have great audio and I was in transit while watching, but I believe he also said something about how it would be the largest single titanium cast in production. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC3LQFpuzqs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC3LQFpuzqs

by themgt 10y ago

It looked like one of the grid fins got toasted. Will they still be able to stick the landing? fingers crossed edit: and they did it! I was pessimistic for a minute there!

cmsimike 10y ago

I saw that! I wonder if it was from the entry burn. I was worried because as I saw the fin get toasted, the video cut out, but that was because stage 1 went trans-sonic.

JshWright 10y ago
The video cut out because the stage fell below the horizon (from the perspective of the tracking station on the Cape).

hwillis 10y ago

Someone on reddit said it was an ablative coating. This was also a heavy launch, so it's not surprising they'd be hitting the atmosphere faster.

ygra 10y ago

The grid fins are painted with ablative paint that's supposed to burn away while protecting what's underneath. Same with the legs. But they do suffer damage during re-entry as could be seen on photos of them from previous landed boosters. I'm fairly sure that's all expected and accounted for.

jacquesm 10y ago
The legs are only flown once and are replaced in their entirety, they take the brunt of the impact from landing and may suffer non-elastic deformation.
- ygra 10y ago
  I didn't say the legs were going to be re-used. I just said they were painted in a way that the paint can burn away, just like the grid fins. If you're coming down through your own exhaust you don't want to risk damaging the things you land on a few meters above the ground.

vermontdevil 10y ago

Musk has said SpaceX is working to replace the material with titanium and a new redesign.

jessaustin 10y ago
Haha everything is better in titanium.
Cogito 10y ago
Specifically, in the post launch press event, he mentioned titanium cast grid fins a number of times. The video I saw [1] didn't have great audio and I was in transit while watching, but I believe he also said something about how it would be the largest single titanium cast in production. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC3LQFpuzqs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC3LQFpuzqs