[AR] Re: 3 no 4 no 5 legs.
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 18:09:20 -0500 (EST)
On Wed, 20 Jan 2016, Henrik Schultz wrote:
Maybe I missed someone already mentioning this, but ... why not use an
arm catching system, like on the Soyuz launch pad only in reverse? I
mean, SpaceX have nailed it on the "X" on the barge twice, but had the
rocket tip over subsequently. Wouldn't it be possible to move 2-3-4 arms
in to at least form a cushioned ring - perhaps with some slack - about
the mid-to-upper part of the rocket above CG?
In practice, you might not be able to grab a big rocket just anywhere --
even empty, it may not be strong enough except at specific places. The
Soyuz arms mate to the same reinforced ring that carries the thrust of the
first-stage modules into the second stage (the core module).
On a side note: I guess the barge landing is just because the brass don't
want to risk damaging the Vandenberg infrastructure ;-)
Vandenberg reportedly is a somewhat difficult place to operate, with a lot
of constraints on facilities changes, and there may not have been a handy
abandoned pad site to use.
Henry
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