The Awesome 4th Hop Of The Awesome-Hopping SpaceX Grasshopper! (Video)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 08:40PM
After SpaceX solved an issue with the oxidizer tanks on the most recent Falcon 9 launch, their streak of excellent success with five Falcon 9 launches is intact. That's quite an impressive feat. And last week, on Thursday March 7, 2013, they had a successful record-altitude flight of their Grasshopper reusable rocket demonstrator. On its fourth test flight, Grasshopper reached 262.8 feet in altitude... and while a flight to an altitude of just under half the height of the Washington Monument might not seem like much to write home about, it really is a remarkable accomplishment.
The rock-solid stability and control on Grasshopper can be seen in the video, which includes some onboard views. It would be easy to think it was some sort of animation rather than a real free-flying rocket-powered flying machine. Wow, this thing is very well programmed! Grasshopper lifted off the pad, climbed to almost 263 feet, and then it returned back to the pad with a soft landing near the center! It appears to have been a perfect 34 second flight. This thing really does look like science fiction.
All this testing is moving toward the day when SpaceX will have the ability to retrieve the launch vehicle with a controlled descent and vertical landing rather than allowing it to burn up on re-entry as essentially all boosters have done in the past - except for the Shuttle SRB's. This new reusable concept should allow for cheaper launch costs and quicker turn-around.
Congratulations SpaceX, your work is outstanding!
SpaceX Grasshopper launching on its 4th flight on Thursday 3.7.13 (photo: SpaceX)
Reader Comments (3)
Proud Winners of the F-111 Shortest Landing Contest
I see "Amazon Women on the Moon" going to mars.
Shades of Fireball XL-5 and the Estes Mars Lander. I love how art occasionally gives birth to reality.