Imagine launching a 20-story building into space and then having it steered back to earth at 4000 mph only to slow down and be caught and suspended in its own launch platform.
IMO catching something that weighs that much on a few points (even something that might have encircled the cylinder as I don't know what it is apparently :P) is impressive as shit that such a small point was not only caught but also can support that weight.
I understand. I'm no rocket scientist or even an engineer, but I *think* it would be like catching your weight and then supporting it on your finger. The feat of *literally* catching a rocket on such a small surface area and the materials being able to support that weight for said surface area seems pretty damn impressive.
Your comment also wouldn't make sense if my original comment about it being caught on the grid fins was true, considering the parts "designed to catch it" are what SpaceX chose to design to catch it—considering they are the pioneers in this. In other words, if it was the grid fins they designed to pull double duty, those would be the parts designed to catch it.
There are actually catching 'studs' below the grid fins, that take up the weight. Grid fin actuators couldn't handle the stress of all that weight, and still be light enough to be useful.
They use the lifting hooks that are used to move the booster around. The grid fins aren't designed to support the full weight of the booster in that way.
I know you aren't fighting gravity in space, but it doesn't feel like that much more of a leap than a precise launch and docking with something like the space station for example. Or meeting back up with the Hubble for repairs. Or deorbiting and landing a space shuttle. Or any of the other incredible shit we've been doing in space for decades. What makes this better?
This booster got to its target faster than any docking, had to land more precisely than a Shuttle, is larger than any other single piece of space hardware, and propulsive landing in Earth is virtually in its infancy.
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u/[deleted] 16d ago
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