[SPESS] 2015-04-13 SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 6 Launch

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Comments

  • DontCallMeKelsoDontCallMeKelso Kelso 'The Great Asshole' San Jose, CA Icrontian

    Question, is the portion of the craft with the solar array not re-usable? What happens to it?

  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian

    @DontCallMeKelso said:
    Question, is the portion of the craft with the solar array not re-usable? What happens to it?

    The trunk is not presently reusable. Under normal circumstances, it remains attached for the deorbit burn and then separates from the rest of the capsule shortly after burn completion. The separation is managed so that recontact during reentry isn't possible. The trunk has a fairly high surface area to mass/volume ratio and breaks up readily. Whatever isn't totally eroded away by plasma falls into the ocean.

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