(1/11) Why didn't #SpaceX use #Mechazilla to lift #Booster4 onto the #OrbitalLaunchMount?
This piece of equipment is the main reason for using the #LR11000 Super crane to lift the booster, instead of the #Chopsticks. I'm going to refer to it as the Locator Pin.
(2/11) When fully extended, the locator pin is inserted into this position on the starship #StarshipSuperHeavy's Hydraulic Power Units (#HPU's). There are two of these located on either side of the booster.
📸:@considercosmos
(3/11) I'm not sure if the aero cover actually makes contact with this hard point on the booster, but its not meant to take much force either way. In order to not damage the booster, these locator pins are designed to have a relatively light tough.
📸:@StarshipGazer
(4/11) The reason a locator pin is necessary, is due to the natural tendency for mother earth to produce wind. Once the booster is clear of the clamps, there is nothing stopping it from swaying back and forth by up to a foot in either direction.
🎥:@StarshipGazer
(5/11) There is next to zero space in-between the engine bells and the inner edge of the #BoosterTransportStand. With 20 engines on the outer ring of the booster, #SpaceX can not afford for these engine bells to get damaged.
(6/11) Check out how quickly the booster is lifted past the #RaptorEngineBellDangerZone! This amount of movement is FAR out of tolerance, and I'm sure #SpaceX engineers consider it unacceptable. For the safety of the #Raptors, it is essential to put a halt to this behavior.
(7/11) This is where the locator pins come in!
@jessica_kirsh shows us what they look like in the fully retracted position while @StarshipGazer captured them halfway deployed.
(8/11) These upgrades are key to eliminating the need for having 5 to 10 workers holding the booster using guide ropes, as it is lifted off of the transport stand. Countering the rotation of the crane is an important part of this operation.
(9/11) #Spacex trusts their crane operators a lot more than they trust #Mechazilla. When the #Chopstick is used to lift #Booster4, these workers will not be anywhere near this location. Literally everything you are seeing here CANNOT happen during #Mechazilla stacking operations
(10/11) Today, @CSI_Stabase agent @tslaqq2 captured this footage from @Labpadre as these locator pins were extended upward for the first time on #BoosterTransportStand1. These locator pins will stop the booster from swaying while the Raptors move clear of the transport stand.
(11/11) So now that this upgraded transport stand is complete, what should we be expecting?
Hopefully soon we will see:
-Mechazilla de-stack B4 onto #BTS1
-Mechazilla stack #B4 back onto #OLM
-Mechazilla stack #Ship20 onto #B4
Its about time to get this process dialed in!
I'm extremely grateful for all the positive feedback I get everyday from this most incredible #TeamSpaceGlobal audience. Four months ago, I didn't think reaching 5k followers was possible but here we are! Your #Starship addictions is what keeps me going!
If you would like to support future @CSI_Starbase content, please consider becoming a patron patreon.com/CSI_Starbase.
I do have a fulltime job, however I plan to make way more trips to #Starbase to perform these investigations in person! I can't wait!
-GB
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