[AR] Re: Multiple small engine vs one large engine. Was Re: Re: SpaceX monster
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2021 16:47:37 -0400 (EDT)
On Sat, 28 Aug 2021, Ian M. Garcia wrote:
The book notes that the descent-module RCS is essentially optional --
it's possible to do a reentry with it completely dead, at the cost of a
rough ride and a wide spread of possible landing points.
Did it mean completely off or is it referring to the spinning ballistic
entry?
The wording is not entirely clear, and he doesn't elaborate. Possibly, as
Bill mentioned in connection with early Dragons, there is some tweak to
the aerodynamics to guarantee a small roll torque. Or if you knew there
was a (potential) problem with the DM RCS before separation from the IM,
you could use the IM thrusters to apply some spin before separation.
Henry
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