4 ms·

A lot of people think it landed on the large grid fins, this is not true it actually landed on much smaller landing pegs

nordsieck 2y ago
This is more or less easy to see depending on the video you watch. Here's a good one that demonstrates it very clearly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExV6PHRM8eI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExV6PHRM8eI
- stronglikedan 2y ago
  I was impressed before. Now I'm doubly impressed after having watched that. Thanks.
- mdrzn 2y ago
  This is even more mindblowing than landing on the fins. Amazing.
Culonavirus 2y ago
Landing on the grid fins would be a really bad idea. Even though they're car-sized, they're not load bearing and "only" made of steel (not titanium etc. .. just yet). Starship's Raptors blast during hot staging is enough to bend them on the top. https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/1g3bi7s/grid_fin_damage_during_hot_staging/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/1g3bi7s/grid_...
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- m4rtink 2y ago
  They need to be able to handle some forces but indeed likely not an equivalent of half or even quarter of the booster landing weight.
- cubefox 2y ago
  Though the original plan was indeed to land it on the (reinforced?) grid fins: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1344327757916868608 https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1344327757916868608 I actually think there is some old Starbase tour interview where a SpaceX guy implied it was Musk's idea, though I could be misremembering. Catching the booster kind of makes sense, since they needed the tower arms anyway for stacking and unstacking.
whitehexagon 2y ago
Interesting, are there more than 4? because I was also amazed that the rocket was rotated at exactly the right angle to be caught by them. But maybe that is the 'easier' challenge when you are hovering with such accuracy. I keep finding myself watching the catch every few days, and it does not tire to impress.

nordsieck 2y ago

This is more or less easy to see depending on the video you watch. Here's a good one that demonstrates it very clearly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExV6PHRM8eI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExV6PHRM8eI

stronglikedan 2y ago
I was impressed before. Now I'm doubly impressed after having watched that. Thanks.
mdrzn 2y ago
This is even more mindblowing than landing on the fins. Amazing.

Culonavirus 2y ago

Landing on the grid fins would be a really bad idea. Even though they're car-sized, they're not load bearing and "only" made of steel (not titanium etc. .. just yet). Starship's Raptors blast during hot staging is enough to bend them on the top. https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/1g3bi7s/grid_fin_damage_during_hot_staging/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/1g3bi7s/grid_...

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
m4rtink 2y ago
They need to be able to handle some forces but indeed likely not an equivalent of half or even quarter of the booster landing weight.
cubefox 2y ago
Though the original plan was indeed to land it on the (reinforced?) grid fins: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1344327757916868608 https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1344327757916868608 I actually think there is some old Starbase tour interview where a SpaceX guy implied it was Musk's idea, though I could be misremembering. Catching the booster kind of makes sense, since they needed the tower arms anyway for stacking and unstacking.

whitehexagon 2y ago

Interesting, are there more than 4? because I was also amazed that the rocket was rotated at exactly the right angle to be caught by them. But maybe that is the 'easier' challenge when you are hovering with such accuracy. I keep finding myself watching the catch every few days, and it does not tire to impress.