Part 2/11:
Critical Analysis of Nauda Space’s Horizontal Landing Proposal
Elon responded to a post by Everyday Astronaut discussing Nauda Space, a Chinese startup proposing a horizontally landing rocket. Musk offered a comprehensive critique, highlighting several technical and structural challenges with this approach:
Structural design considerations: The booster is optimized for vertical landing, which aligns with ascent dynamics. Horizontal descent would introduce unnecessary mass and complexity.
Aerodynamic control issues: Musk pointed out that the animation showing the rocket flying horizontally ignores the effectiveness of dihedral flaps, which are suited for belly-first stabilization rather than parallel wind flows.