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This is the first time, I think, we got to see the charred surface of the first stage. I wonder what kind of processing is involved to make the stage usable aga
by crispyambulance 10y ago
This is the first time, I think, we got to see the charred surface of the first stage. I wonder what kind of processing is involved to make the stage usable again?
Do they just put it through a car wash and re-fill for next time?
Is everything reusable on the first stage?
- safeharbourio 10y agoAnecdotal: I believe musk said that the charred outside was surprisingly only in need of a fresh coat of paint.
- angstrom 10y agoWouldn't be surprised if it's similar to the coatings placed on the launch pad stabilizers. The paint is meant to char because it acts similar to a ceramic preventing damage to the underlying metal. There's a good youtube video of this on the moon launches where the tail fin hold downs char, but don't warp.
- greglindahl 10y agoThe grid fins have paint like that, which is why they catch on fire.
- dflock 10y agoThey're aluminium underneath the paint - and that also melts a bit on a high speed GTO reentry, hence the likely switch to titanium grid fins in the future.
- goatforce5 10y agoIn a funny way, i'd be happy if it got to a point where they just sent the dirty/charred rockets back up. "It's a rocket - of course it's going to get dirty!"
- rbanffy 10y agoAgreed. We've seen lots and lots of primary missions, but the truly revolutionary thing, the booster landing, we never followed this close.
- rst 10y agoWe've certainly seen gunked up stages after landing -- and a lot of the gunk isn't charred paint (or thermal coating), but soot from the rocket exhaust in the re-entry burn, which they can just clean off.
- JshWright 10y agoMost of that is soot, not char (i.e. it's "dirt" that has stuck to the rocket, not the actual material on the outside of the rocket charring).