
SpaceX successfully launches and lands a used rocket for the second time - tsaprailis
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/23/15861622/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-landing-success-buglariasat
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blastofpast
Musk tweeted that the rocket booster used "almost all of the emergency crush
core" which, according to the article, "helps soften the landing".

Can someone explain what this means? What is an emergency crush core?

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blastofpast
Ah, I believe I understand now. Here's an older tweet from Musk which mostly
explains it: "Crush core is aluminum honeycomb for energy absorption in the
telescoping actuator. Easy to replace (if Falcon makes it back to port)."

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greglindahl
This was a hot enough landing that they used a 3-engine hover-slam to reduce
fuel usage. Their last attempt at a 3-engine landing burn was also their last
landing failure. When a landing goes slightly wrong, the crush core is the
first thing to go... and this time it successfully did its job.

