3 ms·
Yes. SpaceX surely knows this, and reckons that the cost is worth full reusability with reduced refurbishment cost.
by twtw 8y ago
Yes. SpaceX surely knows this, and reckons that the cost is worth full reusability with reduced refurbishment cost.
- Retric 8y agoNo, they are using a heat shield which is unnecessary if you slow down before reentry. What confuses people is you need to bleed off a little energy to start decent, and another tiny amount to land. But, between those points 99% of the energy is bleed off via air.
- manicdee 8y agoYou can compare the weight of the heat shield required for atmospheric reentry braking to the weight of the fuel you need for propulsive reentry braking: if the fuel weighs more, use the heat shield instead. This could be the difference, for example, between 100t of fuel versus 15t of heatshield.