Musk's chopsticks "grip" the rocket: a space version of a claw machine

You know about claw machines, right? You put in coins and control the machine's "claws" to grab a small doll. If you catch it, you can happily take it home. If you don't catch it, you have to try again. Can you imagine a super-large claw machine, but it doesn't grab dolls, but rockets?

Musk and his rocket chopsticks

This idea comes from tech giant Elon Musk, who is one of the most tinkering people in the world. His company SpaceX specializes in rockets and spacecraft, not only sending satellites into space, but also planning to take humans to Mars for tourism in the future! In order to make rocket launches cheaper and more environmentally friendly, he came up with a new way to recycle rockets: using "chopsticks" to catch the rockets!

On October 13, 2024, Musk successfully used the launch tower's robotic arm to capture a booster in mid-air for the first time and recovered it.

Why did the Rockets have to be "sandwiched"?

Normally, after a rocket is launched, the first stage, called the "stage one," falls back to Earth after completing its mission. If it falls directly into the ocean, the rocket is "ruined," which is both wasteful and environmentally unfriendly. SpaceX has come up with a smarter way to allow the rocket to fly back to the launch pad, land perfectly, and then be used again, just like an airplane can take off and land repeatedly.

However, it is not enough to just make the rocket "stand firm"! Wouldn't it be even better if the rocket could land more accurately and safely? So Musk invented this "rocket chopsticks" device!

How do Rocket Chopsticks work?

You can imagine the rocket chopsticks as two huge mechanical arms installed on both sides of the launch pad, like two flexible "chopsticks". When the rocket completes its mission and returns to the ground, it will automatically adjust its posture and slowly fly over the launch pad. At the moment it approaches the launch pad, the pair of mechanical arms will reach out accurately, like chopsticks holding dumplings, carefully clamping the rocket, allowing it to land steadily on the launch pad without the need for it to land itself.

The science behind it

This device is actually a high-tech "claw claw machine". It relies on the following scientific principles:

(1) Accurate calculation: The robot arm must calculate the rocket’s flight speed, direction, and altitude, and adjust its position in time to ensure that the “chopsticks” can catch the rocket. This is just like the “claw” of a claw machine needs to aim at the doll’s head.

(2) Attitude control: When a rocket is landing, it needs to adjust its angle and speed to allow itself to "slide" slowly and straight down, just like when you shoot a basketball, you need to control the angle and strength of your arm to ensure that the ball goes into the basket.

(3) Feedback system: Both the rocket and the robotic arm are equipped with sensors that can quickly respond to environmental changes. If the rocket deviates slightly from the planned orbit, the system will immediately correct it to ensure that it docks perfectly with the "chopsticks".

What are the benefits?

(1) Reduce costs: Rocket chopsticks can make rockets safer and faster to recover, greatly reducing the cost of manufacturing new rockets. Every time you launch a rocket, you can save a lot of money!

(2) Environmental protection: Recycling rockets not only saves money, but is also environmentally friendly. Because rockets can be reused, a large amount of discarded rocket fragments are prevented from falling into the sea, reducing pollution to the environment.

(3) Improved efficiency: These “chopsticks” can make the preparation time for rocket launches shorter and faster. We will see more rocket launches, and the day of going to the moon and Mars will not be too far away!

Future Possibilities

You can imagine: maybe in the future there will be more "chopsticks" to catch different types of aircraft, even manned spacecraft. This "rocket chopsticks" technology will not only make space exploration more convenient and cheaper, but also push us to the universe faster.

So, next time when you are struggling to grab a doll in front of a claw machine, remember to think about the pair of giant "rocket chopsticks" - they are holding hope for mankind's space dream and leading us to a more exciting sea of ​​stars!

Source: Chongqing Radio Science Popularization Experience Center

Audit expert: Yang Wenyan

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