What is the purpose of the inverted cone at the center of a Starship thrust puck?

Asked Nov 15 '20 at 15:19

Active Nov 15 '20 at 15:57

Viewed 175 times

In the center of the Starhip's thrust puck, where the lowest portion of the LOX tank should be, there is a heavily reinforced inverted cone. Why is it there? Why not just complete the tank in a regular shape?

Image: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52205.msg2150205#msg2150205

Edit: What I mean by inverted cone v. "regular" shape:

edited Nov 15 '20 at 15:57

asked Nov 15 '20 at 15:19

PunchyRascal

2

See edited answer - there is a schematic describing what I mean – PunchyRascal Nov 15 '20 at 15:58
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Thanks, I don't know enough about the vehicle to know whether the cone was pointing up or down, your sketch makes it clear. – Organic Marble Nov 15 '20 at 16:16
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I am sticking by the nomenclature I found - I agree in a way there is nothing inverted about the cone :D – PunchyRascal Nov 15 '20 at 16:24
IIRC, the cylinder on top of that cone is the fuel pipe from the Methane tank, so maybe this is a structural decision to use the fuel pipe as a load-bearing member. – CourageousPotato Nov 16 '20 at 02:14
I just had the opposite idea - maybe the cone is there to support to long, heavy methane down comer tube... – PunchyRascal Nov 16 '20 at 09:28
I don't suppose there's a mating surface with a positive cone, thus using these for alignment during assembly? – Carl Witthoft Nov 16 '20 at 13:51

What is the purpose of the inverted cone at the center of a Starship thrust puck?

0 Answers0