Why is catching the SpaceX booster in mid-air considered much better and more advanced than just landing it in some launchpad ?
In: Planetary Science
The pad, while a small target for a rocket to land on using automated guidance, is very large compared to the opening for the catch arms on the tower. The booster also has to avoid the tower itself.
Its better because it helps reduce weight on the booster and reduces the chance of a catastrophic failure.
The booster’s landing gear is limited in strength. Every pound of material used to make it stronger is a pound of cargo less that the booster can carry (not exactly, but its that concept). By removing the complicated landing gear they can drop weight on the booster. It also doesn’t matter how heavy the tower is, so they can build it to be as strong as they want/need.
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