Compared to an expendable mission, how does choosing a drone ship landing affect payload mass delivery?
Answer
It allows for a payload mass ($M_{DroneShip}$) only slightly less than the expendable mass ($M_{exp}$).
The trade-off shows that while an offshore landing incurs a penalty, it is significantly less severe than the penalty of dropping the stage entirely, allowing for a much higher payload mass than an RTLS attempt.
#Videos
Why SpaceX Chose To Land Off Coast of the Bahamas - YouTube
Why SpaceX Really Lands In The Ocean (Physics) - YouTube
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