Awesome, I noticed they were tracking the landing leg attachment points at liftoff, so perhaps there is a new leg deployment system.
Also the note that 'kaboom' after splashdown suggests that some part of the landing mechanism didn't deal well the transition from flight to sailing. One wonders what the temperature differential is between the landing first stage and the ocean, on the one hand it might be hot (burning retro) on the other it could be sub zero (cryogenic propellant usage).
Questions then are:
1) What was the mechanism that instituted the rapid disassembly of the landing stage.
2) Would that mechanism come into play on a 'ground' based recovery?
3) What is the safe radius for ground recovery in the event of a structural failure?
My problem with that theory/scenario is that the stage is designed to land on its legs. When the test vehicles land they have very little angular momentum, presumably these tests would mimic that. And if the momementum was managed, then at engine shut off it would drop vertically into the water, and then fall over as the counter pressure of buouancy was not stabilized by the landing legs.
If you've ever seen loggers drop tree trunks in a river you can imagine what that looks like, it starts out vertical, then reaches point where it displaces enough water that it is essentially floating (but unstably so) and then rotates to horizontal around the point on the trunk that is at the surface of the water.
I totally understand that this isn't an intended landing mode :-).
Thinking about how they manage fuel load, it made me wonder how I would do it, do you hover until you've exhausted all fuel? Or do you just shut off the engine? And at flameout are you out of volatiles or just some volatiles (like LOX)and do you have the 'gas tank' issue that auto mechanics deal with where residual vapors can be explosive.
Would love to sit through the briefings on this stuff.
The problem with your picture is that the empty stage is extremely light for its volume so, unlike a log, it floats very high in the water. Floating upright, most of it is above water and the top of the rocket is high above the water. The full launch vehicle is 220ft tall, and 2/3 of that is the first stage.
Also the note that 'kaboom' after splashdown suggests that some part of the landing mechanism didn't deal well the transition from flight to sailing. One wonders what the temperature differential is between the landing first stage and the ocean, on the one hand it might be hot (burning retro) on the other it could be sub zero (cryogenic propellant usage).
Questions then are:
1) What was the mechanism that instituted the rapid disassembly of the landing stage.
2) Would that mechanism come into play on a 'ground' based recovery?
3) What is the safe radius for ground recovery in the event of a structural failure?