Super Heavy Booster Catch

[joewyo]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

[cdebuhr]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

Roll control (i.e., rotation about the rocket's long axis) is provided by thrust vector control (TVC) of the two or more of the engines.

Welcome to the forum!

[rpapo]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

AFAIK, those pins are for the Starship, not for the Super-Heavy (SH).  The SH's weight will be supported by its grid fins, which is probably the reason why they aren't spaced every 90 degrees, but rather are like pairs on opposite sides of the booster.  And frankly, I don't think they will use those pins for when the Starship is caught by Mechazilla.  They will more likely be supported by the base of the forward fins.

[xvel]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

AFAIK, those pins are for the Starship, not for the Super-Heavy (SH).  The SH's weight will be supported by its grid fins, which is probably the reason why they aren't spaced every 90 degrees, but rather are like pairs on opposite sides of the booster.  And frankly, I don't think they will use those pins for when the Starship is caught by Mechazilla.  They will more likely be supported by the base of the forward fins.

no

[rpapo]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

AFAIK, those pins are for the Starship, not for the Super-Heavy (SH).  The SH's weight will be supported by its grid fins, which is probably the reason why they aren't spaced every 90 degrees, but rather are like pairs on opposite sides of the booster.  And frankly, I don't think they will use those pins for when the Starship is caught by Mechazilla.  They will more likely be supported by the base of the forward fins.

no

Explain.  Don't try to out-Jim Jim.

[oiorionsbelt]

 8:12 in the video

[xvel]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1432276054664744961




This thread belongs here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=53088.1520

[rpapo]

This thread belongs here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=53088.1520

Thank you for the additional information.

[steveleach]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

AFAIK, those pins are for the Starship, not for the Super-Heavy (SH).  The SH's weight will be supported by its grid fins, which is probably the reason why they aren't spaced every 90 degrees, but rather are like pairs on opposite sides of the booster.  And frankly, I don't think they will use those pins for when the Starship is caught by Mechazilla.  They will more likely be supported by the base of the forward fins.

I believe the booster has two pins just below the grid fins, with a ball on the end of each. Those land in sleds that can move laterally along the chopsticks. By moving the two sleds asymmetrically the chopsticks can rotate the booster, and by moving them symmetrically it can be moved towards or away from the tower; this is how the booster is returned to the launch mount after being caught.

As others have pointed out, the booster has roll-control via Raptor gimbaling, but I believe this is augmented by the grid fins and reaction control thrusters.

I'm not aware of any firm plans to catch Starship yet, just a vague aspiration to do it at some point in the future.

[rpapo]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

AFAIK, those pins are for the Starship, not for the Super-Heavy (SH).  The SH's weight will be supported by its grid fins, which is probably the reason why they aren't spaced every 90 degrees, but rather are like pairs on opposite sides of the booster.  And frankly, I don't think they will use those pins for when the Starship is caught by Mechazilla.  They will more likely be supported by the base of the forward fins.

I believe the booster has two pins just below the grid fins, with a ball on the end of each. Those land in sleds that can move laterally along the chopsticks. By moving the two sleds asymmetrically the chopsticks can rotate the booster, and by moving them symmetrically it can be moved towards or away from the tower; this is how the booster is returned to the launch mount after being caught.

As others have pointed out, the booster has roll-control via Raptor gimbaling, but I believe this is augmented by the grid fins and reaction control thrusters.

I'm not aware of any firm plans to catch Starship yet, just a vague aspiration to do it at some point in the future.

Good detail.  My initial reaction was that there was no way they could use the arrangement that was used to hoist Starship the other day as a capture scheme.  It would require far too much precision of the descending Starship and/or Mechazilla.  This sounds a bit more doable.

[joewyo]

Great video of the alignment process. Thanks.

[Oersted]

How is super heavy booster able to rotate to the proper orientation to be caught by two pins when coming back to the tower?

If they can stear SH from space back to within a few meters X-Y-Z from the tower, and also zero out the vertical speed, .... then it doesn't look like an insurmountable challenge to also rotate the ship into the correct orientation.

[catdlr]

An easy description of how this works:


How SpaceX's Mechazilla Works

[Oersted]

....I don't remember just posting that....

Ah, you resurrected a thread from three years ago!