> the heat shield ablates for Mars trips but not Earth trips (not sure why). I s... | Hacker News

Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

login

grondilu on Sept 29, 2017 | parent | context | favorite | on: SpaceX: Making Life Multiplanetary [video]

> the heat shield ablates for Mars trips but not Earth trips (not sure why).

I suppose the reentry speed on mars is much higher, since it happens at the end of an interplanetary trip.

rkangel on Sept 29, 2017 [–]

For E2E routes, the rocket doesn't have to be given as much kinetic energy - it doesn't have to escape Earth's gravity well.

Join us for AI Startup School this June 16-17 in San Francisco!
Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact