They Caught It!

[Subdeacon Joe]

SpaceX "chopsticks" catch of booster!  It had to adjust a little at the end, but:

[Subdeacon Joe]

This just posted.  Fast forward to about 6:30 if you only want to see the catch.
 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

[Pat Riot]

We are definitely moving into the age of sci-fi becoming reality. 
 

[Texas Lizard]

Now how do they get it down????

 

Texas Lizard

 

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

OMG!!!

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

Speechless.  

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Way cool, but it left me with two questions:

 

1. Is the booster going to be reusable?

 

2. If so, is the expense saved by this catch going to be significantly less that the actual cost of retrieving the booster?

 

If it didn't save a ton of money to retrieve a workable booster or if this was just a "look what we can do" experiment, what was gained?

[Texas Joker]

Cheaper and faster turn around than the falcon style retrieval. 

 

Reusable

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

5 hours ago, Texas Lizard said:

Now how do they get it down????

 

Texas Lizard

 

 

If I'm reading things right,  they don't.  See below. 

 

1 hour ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Way cool, but it left me with two questions:

 

1. Is the booster going to be reusable?

 

2. If so, is the expense saved by this catch going to be significantly less that the actual cost of retrieving the booster?

 

If it didn't save a ton of money to retrieve a workable booster or if this was just a "look what we can do" experiment, what was gained?

 

It's reusable.   If there isn't damage from the clamps, that is. 

 

Savings in transportation time and cost.  Even the ones that land back on solid ground have to be transported several miles.

See: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/in-engineering-feat-by-spacex-mechanical-arms-catch-starship-booster-back-at-its-launch-pad

 

And,  from https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/spacex-catches-huge-booster-back-at-launch-pad-9f29819c. (Paywall,  so all I could read is the tease)

"The idea behind catching the booster is that SpaceX could, in the future, stack the Starship spacecraft back on top of one that landed at a pad and quickly launch again."

 

[Trailrider #896]

I believe the chopsticks are attached to an elevator-like structure that will lower the booster down on the launch platform. 

 

Frankly, I think this is an optical delusion. Just like landing Falcon 9 boosters...like aligning a Minuteman I guidance system...it's all done with mirrors!  

 

We'll see if this booster will be refurbished and reflown and caught again! Then, the next thing will be sending the Spaceship into Low Earth Orbit, and then possibly landing it.  Anyway, congratulations, SpaceX!  Moon, here we come. (Nevermind Artemis!)

[Subdeacon Joe]

2 minutes ago, Trailrider #896 said:

Moon, here we come

 

Sic itur ad astra!

[Trailrider #896]

6 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Sic itur ad astra!

Thus what to the stars? Ny Latin is a little rusty.

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Trailrider #896 said:

Thus what to the stars? Ny Latin is a little rusty.

 

Thus one journeys to the stars.

[Sedalia Dave]

On 10/13/2024 at 9:02 AM, Texas Lizard said:

Now how do they get it down????

 

Texas Lizard

 

 Very carefully. 

[John Kloehr]

This one probably won't be refurbished though parts of it might. I'm amazed by how the engineers have simplified the boosters, there is much to learn by taking this one apart to build it better next time. Look at what they have done with the booster rocket:

 

[Eyesa Horg]

On 10/13/2024 at 2:44 PM, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

was just a "look what we can do" experiment, what was gained

This gets my vote! But I think it was pretty darn cool. Having cameras on everything was pretty neat.

[John Kloehr]

Just a tiny bit of damage to the tower, this happened due to the angle the rocket came in at, a bit of exhaust blast:

 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

Just WOW!

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Perspective.   How big is it?

 

23 story building big.

 

 

[Eyesa Horg]

19 hours ago, John Kloehr said:

Just a tiny bit of damage to the tower, this happened due to the angle the rocket came in at, a bit of exhaust blast:

 

Where on tower is that section? Everything I saw was open truss type construction.

[John Kloehr]

1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Where on tower is that section? Everything I saw was open truss type construction.

Lower section facing the rocket side:

 

 

The angle of the rocket coming in blasted it pretty hard: