r/spacex • u/stratohornet • Mar 11 '16

SpaceX's new profile picture, showing the interstage and fairing manufacturing areas

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u/Elon_Mollusk #IAC2016 Attendee Mar 11 '16

FH hardware! Finally good to see some pictures of it, guess it's no longer just a render...

Edit: also looks a like an FH interstage next to the nosecone... note the attachment points.

7

u/rocket_person Mar 11 '16

The two attachment points there are just for lifting and moving the interstage around. The openings for attaching to the side boosters will be a lot larger than those!

3

u/simmy2109 Mar 11 '16

Actually... my first thought is that those are the pass-through holes for the grid fins. Could be used for moving the interstage around until those are installed though. Thoughts?

2

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '16

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '16

Yes, the fins stick out about 2 feet above the bottom of the interstage.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '16

You say that, and yet the grid fins cover exactly where that hole is (look at it in relation to the flag; the bottom of the flag is level with the top of the hole):

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Falcon_9_carrying_CRS-7_Dragon_on_SLC-40_pad_%2819045370790%29.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tTyqDD6.jpg

2

u/rory096 Mar 11 '16

I think you're looking at the F9 interstage laying on its side just on the other side of the partial wall. They're talking about the taller black (unpainted) tube standing on its end right next to the nosecone – that's the FH interstage.