Questions tagged [nosecone]
questions about the top-most part of a rocket and design choices related to its shape and structure which would not otherwise be covered by the fairing tag.
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How does the SpaceX Dragon nosecone separate?
SpaceX's Dragon uses a nosecone to protect the docking port during ascent.
The nosecone seems very large. 1/3 of the capsule's height large. And yet, it separates while the second stage engine is ...
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Is the nosecone of the CST-100 Starliner more than structural?
The CST-100 Starliner is Boeing's new crew capsule. It has a detachable nosecone which serves several structural purposes. Because the capsule uses a pusher-style launch escape system, there is no ...
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Just how pointy does a rocket's nosecone need to be?
There are some beautiful images of the Qu8k rocket launch on this web page and I show a few below. There's a video (below) and the PDF Qu8k Final By Derek Deville, November 27, 2011
The stainless ...
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What are the pros and cons of Aerospike nosecones?
Some rockets, mainly (only?) ICBMs have Aerospike nosecones
Why are they preferred in lieu of traditional nose cones?
Illustrations:
An aerospike nosecone on a trident ICBM
Video including the ...
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Why the soot pattern on the nosecone of Falcon Heavy side booster?
When a SpaceX booster is landed, we are used to seeing soot deposited all over it, usually in a specific pattern.
You can read more about that in this question:
Why the strange bands of soot of the ...
