Originally Posted by
meleagertoo
Why do the waffle-iron grids stay deployed in massive drag-inducing mode during liftoff? Wouldn't it be far better to articulate them to conform to the slipstream?
They actually don't produce much drag. The booster ascends out of the thicker air quite quickly so by the time it's going fast enough for drag to be an issue, they air is thin enough not to matter. Also the mechanism to extend and retract them would just add more weight. As Elon says, the best part is no part.