Incredible! Rocket moves sideways and returns to launchpad

Developing maneuvers that allow for the eventual re-use of expensive rockets seemed impossible, to my mind anyway. Rockets are really expensive and I often wondered why they keep on pushing this forward in the light of such disheartening outcomes sometimes. Yet they persist in their visions and dreams of creating reusable rocketry.

And now we seem to have embarked down that path for sure, as the following video attests. Although not a distant flight or anything, the sideways motion followed by the precision of the landing is really and truly mind-blowing.

It rose 350 meters, higher than the Chrysler building before landing.

Grasshopper Reusability Test Program

SpaceX’s Grasshopper is a 10-story Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing (VTVL) vehicle designed to test the technologies needed to return a rocket back to Earth intact. The largest rocket-powered VTVL ever flown, Grasshopper consists of a Falcon 9 first stage, a single Merlin 1D engine, four steel landing legs with hydraulic dampers, and a steel support structure.

Conducted at SpaceX’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas, Grasshopper will undergo a series of test flights at progressively higher altitudes, topping out with a hover at 1,000 meters with engine shutdown and restart.

Source

See it for yourselves. Enjoy.

S**t!!!

That was cool it didn't look real but..How

I was going to post a video that I saw on ATS, but I guess I didn't subscribe to that thread. Anyway, this looks like a progression of that technology in the video I am talking about. It was a joint US-Japan venture, where they were developing anti-missle missles to be used in space. So, I am guessing, ICBM killers. Each of these anti-missle missles could hover, and make precise movements while hovering in the air. This was top of the line research, and it all happened in the 80's.

Anyway, very sorry that I can't find that thread, because it was amazing stuff. Just like that rocket. Thanks for the post!

NASA is hating it. The entry of corporations with out the bureaucracy that NASA inevitably has as a government agency is going to change the face of space travel and exploitation much faster than we would ever see NASA move forward. We have already seen some neat technology come out of the commercial space endeavors. I suspect we will see much more sooner that we would ever with the government. The question I have is what the government is going to impose once these commercial entities start seeing what is out there and reporting back to the public with live color video and photos.

I remember seeing smaller scale version of similar tech a few years back.

This almost looked CGI it's that amazing.

reply to post by aboutface


Yep, definately a he-rocket.

Great parking!

Originally posted by NeoParadigm
reply to post by aboutface

 

Yep, definately a he-rocket.

Great parking!

ha ha. I like the expression although 'great' is an understatement. It was impeccable!

If this is designed for use in outerspace, don't think we aren't being watched. Off-world intelligences already know we have found the matches (nukes). Many attempts to put weapons in space, have resulted in them being "shot down". Earth is under a type of cosmic quarantine. Our Brothers and Sisters will not allow us to bring destructive madness into space.

Originally posted by Taggart

This almost looked CGI it's that amazing.

My thoughts exactly.

As if, once it hit its apogee we are watching it in rewind. Of course its not the case - it was just a relatively flawless ascent and descent.

Originally posted by aboutface

Originally posted by NeoParadigm
reply to post by aboutface

 

Yep, definately a he-rocket.

Great parking!

ha ha. I like the expression although 'great' is an understatement. It was impeccable!

We call that Cody parking

Nice find OP SnF and thanks for posting it

Cody

Many thanks to the forum member butcherguy, who helped me find the video I was referring to in my original post, in this thread. The video is in this ATS forum thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...



Do you think the rocket in the OP is a derivative of the technology in this youtube video?

reply to post by Catacomb


Thanks so very much for adding this video and also for linking to that thread which I missed by joining after its posting date. Cross pollination of info has to happen sooner or later I would guess, especially by those scientists and engineers in the industry. I had not seen that video either, but wow!

Pretty awesome, i wonder how much that test cost?

reply to post by PhoenixOD


From their site

SpaceX believes a fully and rapidly reusable rocket is the pivotal breakthrough needed to substantially reduce the cost of space access. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket currently carries a list price of about $54 million. However, the cost of fuel for each flight is only around $200,000—about 0.4% of the total. The majority of the launch cost comes from building the rocket, which flies only once. Compare that to a commercial airliner. Each new plane costs about the same as Falcon 9, but can fly multiple times per day, and conduct tens of thousands of flights over its lifetime. Following the commercial model, a rapidly reusable space launch vehicle could reduce the cost of reaching Earth orbit by a hundredfold.

reply to post by aboutface


I watched that yesterday, just amazing to see.. and it sure will cut down on travel time when they use it to loop,,, I think they plan on using it internally first, it will cut down on travel time by a vast amount, and then I guess they will use it internationally from one country to another, reducing travel time by quite a bit, maybe like US to Ireland 8hr flight down to 30 or 40 mins something like that, dont quote me,,,, but I think they plan on doing this... keeping it simple before travelling to moon or someplace not so far and bringing it back etc,,,, great advancement though

shopped

you can tell by the pixels.


It's common knowledge rockets can't land.


Into the hoax bin...

Greetings

I love this video shot by a Hexacopter from what i guess is would be the same test.

I love the Flames coming from the exhaust , very nice view from higher altitude.


www.youtube.com...





Could they use this in a Multi stage rocket , where this would be the final stage , and possible landing and take off vehicle on Objects in space ?

Or are they not able to activate these kinds of engines in space ?

This is highly interesting , thats why the questions , i apologise for my high factor of "dumbness " in advance

TheGreazel

Here it is



By the way, those are great questions.

this is the bottom of a 3 stage rocket.

i love spacex.

reply to post by spirit_horse

Agreed that private businesses will always be more efficient than government.

I used to get excited about stuff like this but now I realize that at some point in the near future, this will be used to bomb a wedding party or as yet another way for the government to spy on us.