Quote:
Originally Posted by Cornstock
A couple questions maybe y'all can answer that crossed my mind watching this:
Around 3:30 the guy announces that they are switching from one guy at the stick to the other. Why is it necessary to change who's steering it halfway through?
It might just be camera angles, but are they pretty much vertical at some points in that descent? Talk about coming in hot...
When the landing gear deployed, it seemed like the compartment doors were much thicker than standard wheel well door. Are they pressurized to keep the wheels from exploding in 0 pressure? Or are they solid rubber? Or are they inflated during the descent?
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Not sure on any of this, but I'd love to speculate! I'd imagine it's thicker b/c of the heat shield required too ensure it doesn't burn up in re-entry.
Also, I'd imagine the wheels weren't inflated on descent, as too many things could go wrong. Solid sounds most likely, but a pressurized space could work too. If you lost pressure though, could be bad news for any hopes out coming home. I'm going with solid rubber.
Anyone know?