Why is SpaceX doing the belly flop with Starship? Why are they going from belly flopping and then flipping to tail down and why are they doing that so close to the ground? Why don’t they just start the flip maneuver earlier and ensure there’s enough time to make corrections if something goes wrong?
We’ll also dive into the different options SpaceX has with lighting engines, how many engines can they run and at what altitude? Is running on more engines better? And can parachutes be a back up if the engines don’t work?
And of course, we’ll answer the ultimate question. Will this ever be safe enough for humans? Can you even survive the G forces?! Should SpaceX just give up on the belly flop and do a landing more like a Falcon 9, which has proven to be highly successful?
So today we’ll look at the wonders of terminal velocity, gravity drag, thrust to weight ratios, and engine throttling to see why SpaceX is trying this belly flop maneuver and see if we think it’s worth it or if SpaceX should go back to the drawing board.
Check out the article version of this video here! - everydayastronaut.com/starshi...
00:00 - Intro
03:15 - How The Flip Maneuver Works
06:00 - Why Belly Flop / Terminal Velocity
13:15 - Thrust to Weight Ratios / Engine Throttling
21:00 - Gravity Loss / Gravity Drag
26:25 - Why Flip So Late
33:45 - Can This Be Safe?
39:30 - Conclusion
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