Space In General

[CodeRedR51]

egs constitute mass that could be instead used for fuel/payload. Additionally, if you can catch your booster on the tower, then it's already in place where it needs to be to load the next starship onto said booster.

Exactly this and no other reason.

 

[wfooshee]

So do retrorockets...

Well, these aren't retrorockets. They are the same engines used for the boost phase. As far as I can think of, the last American manned spacecraft to use retrorockets (that were specifically retrorockets and nothing else) was Gemini.

Granted, they need to keep enough fuel to land, but the Falcon has had several launches with the booster expended so the landing fuel became payload weight. With the payload capacity designed from the start with that fuel accounted for, it feels like a non-issue.

 

[Famine]

Well, these aren't retrorockets.

They absolutely are. Any rocket that provides deceleration thrust is by definition a retrorocket.

(that were specifically retrorockets and nothing else)

An interesting distinction that I didn't make.


Also it's good to see a former resident here has recovered from their self-reported death.

Edit: Huh, weird reaction.