/sci/ - Science & Math

There are 2 big problems that no one is talking about
1. Payload doors
This one is obvious, because instead of making one, universal type of Starship for cargo, they decided to make a Starlink dispenser type, which also encountered structural problems. First two Ships had their doors welded shut and next got a lot of reinforcement. This makes you think, how are they going to solve the issue of one huge payload door? Not even a single prototype for bigger payloads has been constructed yet.
2. Ship and Booster catching
It seems like a task that's barely possible, compared to "normal" landing. Barge or a pad are large enough to allow a margin of mistake and if you watch Starlink launches, there are still many cases when the Booster ends up off-center. Now, SH has an advantage of ability to hover, allowing for more precise landing but your fuel is very limited and your target is very small. It has to hover perfectly in place while chopsticks move quickly enough to attach themselves. What we have seen so far is that chopsticks are very slow and even a simple stacking can take 3 hours. One small mistake and it would be a farewell to arms.