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Yes, for most of the booster return it’s ‘gliding’ with the rocket engines completely shut down. They ignite a subset of engines just a few seconds before land

Yes, for most of the booster return it’s ‘gliding’ with the rocket engines completely shut down. They ignite a subset of engines just a few seconds before landing for the final slowdown and maneuvering. Edit: here is a video from further away that shows the rocket gliding in under control of the grid fins before the engines light and execute the final landing maneuver: https://x.com/shaunmmaguire/status/1845444890764644694 https://x.com/shaunmmaguire/status/1845444890764644694

justin66 2y ago
Super heavy probably makes certain aspects (unrelated to the tower catching the booster) of landing much easier, by virtue of its greater mass. Timing with the Falcon 9 was always essential, because the minimum thrust (with one motor, throttled all the way back) of one of the engines was enough that if you left the motor running, the booster would start to rise. Time the beginning of the final burn incorrectly and you had a real problem, with the booster either crashing or rising at the end and... then crashing, but with Super Heavy, it might simply be a matter of having to compute a slightly different sequence for shutting off the engines. They sure made it look easy...
- HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
  Super Heavy is easier to control on landing because it's using 3 engines so has better directional control, and it can throttle those engines down into a sustained hover, which is what it does before being "caught" by the arms. Surprising to see this work first time though - I don't recall them doing any hover and lateral movement tests, but I assume they must have done. What's also wild is that the booster isn't being caught/supported by those giant grid fins, but rather by small lifting pins just below them, and seems to only have two of these (one on either side), so it also has to get it's rotational position right so those pins engage with (are supported by) the arms.
nordsieck 2y ago
> Yes, for most of the booster return it’s ‘gliding’ with the rocket engines completely shut down. Watching the video, it looked like the bottom of the rocket was glowing hot, but the engines were cool. I imagine that means they were probably running some amount of methane through the engine bells to cool them.

justin66 2y ago

Super heavy probably makes certain aspects (unrelated to the tower catching the booster) of landing much easier, by virtue of its greater mass. Timing with the Falcon 9 was always essential, because the minimum thrust (with one motor, throttled all the way back) of one of the engines was enough that if you left the motor running, the booster would start to rise. Time the beginning of the final burn incorrectly and you had a real problem, with the booster either crashing or rising at the end and... then crashing, but with Super Heavy, it might simply be a matter of having to compute a slightly different sequence for shutting off the engines. They sure made it look easy...

HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
Super Heavy is easier to control on landing because it's using 3 engines so has better directional control, and it can throttle those engines down into a sustained hover, which is what it does before being "caught" by the arms. Surprising to see this work first time though - I don't recall them doing any hover and lateral movement tests, but I assume they must have done. What's also wild is that the booster isn't being caught/supported by those giant grid fins, but rather by small lifting pins just below them, and seems to only have two of these (one on either side), so it also has to get it's rotational position right so those pins engage with (are supported by) the arms.

nordsieck 2y ago

> Yes, for most of the booster return it’s ‘gliding’ with the rocket engines completely shut down. Watching the video, it looked like the bottom of the rocket was glowing hot, but the engines were cool. I imagine that means they were probably running some amount of methane through the engine bells to cool them.