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Yes. The booster has two pins that stick out at the top that are designed to hold the weight of the entire booster when empty. The plan is for the booster to
by nycdotnet 2y ago
Yes. The booster has two pins that stick out at the top that are designed to hold the weight of the entire booster when empty. The plan is for the booster to return to the launch tower, position itself between the arms which will close on it and then the pins will “land” on the arms, completing the catch.
- philwelch 2y agoI’d say the main difference, then, is that the booster will be supported by those pins resting on top of the arms. Chopsticks use friction to hold up their load.
- nycdotnet 2y agoyes the booster’s structure is very strong vertically but not nearly as strong horizontally. There may be some “squeezing” forces from the chopsticks but this is effectively for fine positioning only. It will not support the weight. The booster will “land” by getting its pins (which stick out a bit) on the top rail of the arms.
- 1659447091 2y agoThanks for the explanation! That makes it much more interesting than simply another launch
- magicalhippo 2y agoThe arms are also used to lift the rocket onto the pad, so can carry the full weight, not "just" the empty.
- Unroasted6154 2y agoThe rocket is not filled until the last minute, by fueling arms on the tower. And the weight is like 90% fuel, so it makes a pretty big difference.