SpaceX revealed New Starship Landing Strategy Without Mechazilla... NASA engineers is STUNNED!

We can't deny that even the most sophisticated machines have their flaws, and SpaceX's Mechazilla is no exception. Because of that, another landing method has just been created. This is expected to solve all catching method disadvantages and further refine the Starship landing process. What can that method be? Prepare for some déjà vu. This technique might sound familiar. Well, capturing a launch system in mid-air with Mechazilla is one of the greatest achievements in rocket science. This is not just a demonstration that SpaceX wants to show us. This landing system has many advantages that help them achieve their desire to fully and quickly reuse this ship. Elon Musk explains the advantages of launch towers. He posted on X, the strong gravity of Earth makes the physics of a fully reusable rocket with positive payload margin extremely difficult to solve, which is why it has never been done before. Removing the mass of landing legs from the booster and ship by making the tower do the work of final velocity attenuation greatly improves payload margin. This architecture also simultaneously substantially increases launch cadence, because the same arms that lift the booster and ship onto the launch stand also catch them, allowing immediate placement of the booster back on the Quite impressive, right? However, Mechazilla is not perfect. It has limitations and drawbacks that could significantly impact SpaceX's ambitious plans. First of all, this is an extremely complex and sophisticated system. To successfully perform a landing using this method requires high precision from both Mechazilla and Super Heavy, or Starship. The booster must reach the exact location at the precise moment, with its velocity and orientation flawlessly controlled. The ship had to operate precisely every second, as it had reduced from 13 Raptor engines to just one. Any error in the system will cost both the ship and the launch tower. The second challenge is environmental unpredictability, especially wind conditions. SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas is located along the Gulf Coast, an area notorious for sudden and frequent wind shifts. Even a moderate gust can veer a descending booster off course, disrupting its alignment with Mechazilla's arms. Another factor is, what if there is something wrong with the Mechazilla itself, compromising the launch tower's ability to carry out its mission safely? Something like, a loss of communication to the launch tower. On Flight 6, when this happened, Booster 13 had to divert and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, when additional Mechazilla towers are built, they will serve as backups in situations like this. However, there's one key factor to consider. During landing, the Super Heavy or Starship is typically almost out of fuel. The remaining fuel in the tank will need to be used to control all 13 Raptor engines to ensure a soft landing, so there is hardly any fuel left to change the landing site. If only we had an emergency landing method. A portable landing site in case something went wrong with Mechazilla. Or, we already have those. I'm talking about the drone ships that SpaceX uses to land the first stage of its Falcon rocket. Think about it. They're portable, making them a great emergency vehicle. Instead of the Starship having to change its landing path, the landing site can find the ship itself. Additionally, both the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy have proven the effectiveness and reliability of this landing method in various missions. January 21 was a great day. SpaceX shared the 400th successful landing of the Falcon, with more than 300 of them on the drone ship. With those numbers, we can be confident that this method is really safe and effective. Because of this, we can use these drone ships as an alternative landing method to Starship. Well, not exactly these drone ships. Starship is a lot different than the Falcon's booster. We must build new drone ships to match this beast. The landing platform of the upper deck of the first barge named Just Read the Instructions was 52 meters by 91 meters. This design is to support the Falcon 9's 18-meter-long landing legs. If designed to land Starship, the platform would have to be much, much larger. To position the autonomous spaceport drone ship ASDS in the ocean, a tugboat typically pulls it, with a support ship stationed some distance away. However, given the massive size of the new drone ship and the added weight of Starship after landing, this method might no longer be feasible. Instead of relying on a tugboat, the Starship drone ship would be outfitted with its own propulsion system, allowing it to autonomously navigate to its designated location. This is what their latest drone ship, a shortfall of Gravitas, was equipped with. Of course, like existing drone ships, it will also have thrusters on all four corners of the ship to help it stay in place once set, allowing Starship to pinpoint its exact landing location. Super Heavy is very tall, so it is very affected by wave motion. Falcon's booster has also encountered this problem before. It has been known to topple on the ASDS in rough seas. To solve this problem, a system has been created, called Octograbber. It is a robot used on SpaceX's drone ships to secure Falcon 9 boosters after they land at sea. Once the booster touches down, Octograbber drives out of its blast-resistant garage and uses its four arms to latch onto the octoweb at the base, securing the booster for transport. The low center of gravity after launch makes the octoweb the heaviest part, which is why Octograbber attaches there. Such a system but larger could be used to secure Starship, as well as Super Heavy, to the ship during landing and moving to shore. In addition, to withstand the heat of the Raptor engine, the drone ship will also be equipped with a cooling system that is powerful enough to protect the surface of the ship, helping to minimize its need for refurbishment. Even though we have the idea of new drone ships for Starship, it seems like something is still missing. That's right, legs. In order for Starship to actually land without a launch tower, we need to add legs for both Super Heavy and Starship upper stage. For Super Heavy, the legs need to be both incredibly strong to support its massive weight and exceptionally long to ensure stability and prevent tipping. Additionally, they must be foldable, much like the Falcon 9's legs, to minimize the risk of damage during re-entry. And to avoid interfering with the launch tower in the event of a decision to land using Mechazilla. As for the Starship upper stage, did you know it was once equipped with landing legs? SN15, the first Starship prototype to successfully complete a flight and land safely. It also marked Starship's first successful landing test using legs. These landing legs are only prototypes, they are not durable, and often get damaged and deformed after each test. These legs are supposed to do that though they are crushable legs built for testing purposes, considering that only this part of the prototype is damaged shows that they did their job well. Also, although they look a bit ugly, they carry more genius designs than we think. Notice that the design features progressively larger holes drilled further down the leg, with more metal concentrated higher up. This is because the crumple zone begins at the feet of the legs, and as they absorb more force, it requires increasing amounts of force for additional crumpling further up. This design is known as the crush core, which was inspired by the Apollo lander's landing leg structure. SpaceX utilizes this concept mainly in the Falcon rocket's design, where it serves as an essential component for energy absorption during landing and re-entry. While the compact legs, fully contained inside the skirt like those on SN15, offer a sleek solution, a wider stance could help prevent Starship from tipping over, particularly when landing in challenging locations like the sea. Additionally, for missions on Mars or the Moon, a wider stance is crucial for stability. Drawing from the experience of hundreds of successful Falcon 9 landings, and data from previous Starship landing leg tests, SpaceX is well equipped to make the integration of landing legs on Starship a smooth and successful implementation. But they'll need to move quickly as the Artemis mission is fast approaching. The landing legs must be installed on Starship to begin testing for the HLS version. In summary, drone ship landings offer numerous benefits, serving as a viable and safer alternative for rocket recovery. However, this doesn't mean we'll abandon the use of Mechazilla. Its potential to increase launch cadence is too valuable to overlook. Not to mention that marine access is a very complex thing to work with. It requires extensive setup time, is heavily weather dependent, and comes with high operational costs. I think Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck understands this very well. Therefore, a simultaneous use of both methods would be the most optimal option. Use Mechazilla for regular flights to ensure a quick launch schedule, and use drone ship landings for occasional emergencies. Speaking of both, you know SpaceX once wanted to combine these two methods? Well, sort of. Rather, they intended to build a Mechazilla right in the middle of the ocean. In 2020, SpaceX purchased two oil rigs, which it later renamed Phobos and Deimos, after Mars' two moons. The company intended to transform these rigs into offshore launch platforms for its ambitious Starship program. Elon Musk posted in June 2020, SpaceX is building floating, super-heavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon, and hypersonic travel around Earth. At the time, this seems like a good idea. Launching from the ocean could greatly reduce the environmental impact of space missions, which typically generates substantial noise, dust, smoke, and debris. Offshore platforms could also boost launch frequency. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and COO, has expressed confidence that sea-based platforms will play a key role in helping SpaceX achieve its ambitious goal of conducting multiple launches per day. However, SpaceX abandoned efforts to convert two oil rigs into launch platforms shortly thereafter, and the oil rigs have been sold. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell told reporters after a presentation at the Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Transportation Conference. We bought them. We sold them. They were not the right platform. Shotwell stated that before constructing offshore launch platforms, the company needed to first focus on launching Starship and gaining a deeper understanding of the vehicle's performance. We really need to fly this vehicle to understand it, to get to know this machine, and then we'll figure out how we're going to launch it. And their decision is not without reason. Building an ocean launch pad creates a host of problems, most notably for the marine environment. 33 Raptor engines launching every day would have a significant impact on the creatures living below. Then there's transportation, not just the Starship, but the fuel, the equipment, the payload, all of which would have to be transported out into the ocean. Starship still has a way to go before it can operate smoothly. SpaceX needs to focus on solving this most important problem before adding new ones. That said, SpaceX hasn't given up on the idea of an at-sea launch pad. Gwynne said, We have designed Starship to be as much like aircraft operations as we possibly can get it. We want to talk about dozens of launches a day if not hundreds of launches a day. We'll have many pads. I think we'll have a lot of sea-based platforms as well. We have to see how this ship goes. Many might wonder why there are so many different landing methods. If one works, why not just stick with it? The answer is simple. It's rocket science. When millions of dollars and even human lives are at stake, every possible what-if must be thoroughly considered. And that just about wraps it up for today's episode. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you next time.