Second Flight of the Grasshopper

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Message 1415213 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 18:39:34 UTC

http://www.space.com/22379-spacex-grasshopper-rocket-sideways-flight-video.html

The point of doing this is to eventually have the booster fly back to the pad. As opposed to parachuting it down at sea like the shuttle did. Or just losing it like happens currently with the Falcon 9.

To that end, SpaceX is going to try to re-light the booster engine after separation, one step in the process. That is scheduled for this weekend's launch.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/09/spacex-orbital-launching-new-spacecraft/
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Message 1415223 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 18:58:56 UTC - in response to Message 1415213.  

that was impressive



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Message 1415226 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 19:01:08 UTC - in response to Message 1415213.  

Impressive!
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Message 1415301 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 21:21:33 UTC

Looking good!

Just like something out of Thunderbirds!


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Message 1415314 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 21:58:12 UTC - in response to Message 1415301.  

Looking good!

Just like something out of Thunderbirds!


Keep searchin',
Martin

or Abbott and Costello go to Venus


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Message 1415511 - Posted: 14 Sep 2013, 7:09:22 UTC

That reminds me of those old sci-fi movies. Where the rocket ships lands tail first. Glad to see that it can be done.
[/quote]

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Message 1415940 - Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 13:18:07 UTC - in response to Message 1415511.  

I think a bigger test would be to get that rocket to several hundred thousand feet and repeat. I'm betting it exhaust almost all of its fuel just doing that test run.


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Message 1422559 - Posted: 30 Sep 2013, 18:16:59 UTC

SpaceX keeps on going up, and working up to coming down softly:


Updated SpaceX Falcon rocket blasts off

The US SpaceX company has successfully launched a new version of its Falcon 9 rocket from California...

... The 9v1.1 features more powerful Merlin engines and stretched tanks for additional propellant.

Sunday's launch was also the first time the rocket had flown with its new payload fairing. ...

Another first was SpaceX's use of Vandenberg. Until now, all Falcon launches have gone out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ... [offering] a greater range of missions...

"We demonstrated a lot of new technologies successfully, including the Merlin 1D engine, the new stage-separation system, the much taller rocket which structurally performed very well, [and] the 17-ft diameter fairing, which separated successfully. Overall - really great."...

There is sure to be a lot of interest, also, in the outcome of an experiment that SpaceX ran on Sunday with the Falcon's first stage. ...

Mr Musk reported that the test went well, although the stage lost stability in the moments prior to impacting the water - a behaviour he says his engineering team understands and can correct.

"So it hit the water relatively hard," he told reporters. "We've recovered portions of the stage. But the most important thing is we now believe we have all the pieces of the puzzle."...



Phenomenal first-time stuff!

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Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : Second Flight of the Grasshopper


 
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