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SpaceX might not rely on the legs to land its next-generation booster rockets. Elon Musk a revealed that his company will attempt to “catch up” to the future Super Heavy thruster using the launch tower arm, with the gate fins (used to help control descent) shoulder the load. As TechCrunch Explain, this process would effectively hook up the rocket using the tower arm before it reached the ground.
That would require very precise positioning, and there’s still a long way to go when Super Heavy flight tests might not begin for a few months at the earliest. If successful, however, the catch method could prevent SpaceX from adding bulky legs to its rocket. A truly precise maneuvering system could even reduce spin time by letting SpaceX relaunch the rocket without having to move it from its landing position.
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