Replaceable Starship heat shield

[Thrud]

Why are TPS (tiles) fixed directly onto the outside of starship as opposed to being fixed to a textured plate that could be replaced quickly and moulded into a shape that would dissipate the heat away from the ship on re-entry more efficiently than a pointy cylinder?

A textured plate covering fixed against the starship body could then be replaced on landing. Compared with checking each tile and resecuring/replacing those necessary. It could be fabricated separately potentially using varied depth ceramics and if not needed (one way trip) just not attached. yes there is additional weight but would be easy to assemble and install.

Is it purely down to flight dynamics of the rocket to get to orbit?

[Jim]

A textured plate covering fixed against the starship body could then be replaced on landing. Compared with checking each tile and resecuring/replacing those necessary.

Why does every one have to be check?

efficiently than a pointy cylinder?

What pointy cylinder?

[rubicondsrv]

yes there is additional weight but would be easy to assemble and install.

in what way would a starship sized monolithic TPS be easy to assemble and install?  instead of placing small easily manageable pieces, there is a large and fragile assembly that has to be placed using cranes, and if you break it it has to be replaced in one piece.