Hacker News Reader

Comment by systemvoltage | Hacker News Reader

Closeup of chopsticks as they were catching the booster, best clip from Everyday Astronaut's livestream: https://x.com/kagurazakimoto/status/1845447451592765820

View on HN

The SpaceX clip is better https://x.com/spacex/status/1845442658397049011?s=46

Better than both, NSF's stream: https://x.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1845442658203734384

It genuinely was. Thanks for that!

Insane!

And here is the most beautiful shot: https://x.com/Cosmo_556/status/1845554958604657051

I'd never considered a 70m tall chunk of mostly metal "agile", but the way it's controlled into the arms so precisely is something to behold.

Do you know what the entire booster is hanging off of? It can't be the fins. How is the load transferred to the arms?

The grid fins are what it's hanging off of.

https://x.com/marionawfal/status/1845351598874120662

I dug into it, found this clip. Elon says that it’s those two tiny knubs! Saw a few pictures and yes, I confirm, it’s not the grid fins.

that is a ridiculous amount of weight held by such a small thing

Small is relative. They’re about 7 inches in diameter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6HdADut50

Great find. Still image from the video: https://imgur.com/a/3VHsZV9

The booster landed on "pins" that are structural load points and designed to support it's weight.

Here is a brilliant profile shot looking down one of the "arms" after the catch today, you can clearly see it resting on the "pins", not the grid fins.

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F7...

They also use those "pins" to raise/lower it with a crane when they need to during construction and during transport to the launch tower. It's the primary mode of lifting the thing

There are two lifting points on opposite sides just below the fins.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com