Second Flight of the Grasshopper

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

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
Profile cov_route
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 13 Sep 12
Posts: 342
Credit: 10,270,618
RAC: 0
Canada
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/
ID: 1415213 · Report as offensive
Profile skildude
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 00
Posts: 9541
Credit: 50,759,529
RAC: 60
Yemen
Message 1415223 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 18:58:56 UTC - in response to Message 1415213.  

that was impressive



In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope
ID: 1415223 · Report as offensive
Profile betreger Project Donor
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 29 Jun 99
Posts: 11360
Credit: 29,581,041
RAC: 66
United States
Message 1415226 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 19:01:08 UTC - in response to Message 1415213.  

Impressive!
ID: 1415226 · Report as offensive
Profile ML1
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 25 Nov 01
Posts: 20147
Credit: 7,508,002
RAC: 20
United Kingdom
Message 1415301 - Posted: 13 Sep 2013, 21:21:33 UTC

Looking good!

Just like something out of Thunderbirds!


Keep searchin',
Martin

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)
ID: 1415301 · Report as offensive
Profile skildude
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 00
Posts: 9541
Credit: 50,759,529
RAC: 60
Yemen
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


In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope
ID: 1415314 · Report as offensive
Profile James Sotherden
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 16 May 99
Posts: 10436
Credit: 110,373,059
RAC: 54
United States
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]

Old James
ID: 1415511 · Report as offensive
Profile skildude
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 00
Posts: 9541
Credit: 50,759,529
RAC: 60
Yemen
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.


In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope
ID: 1415940 · Report as offensive
Profile ML1
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 25 Nov 01
Posts: 20147
Credit: 7,508,002
RAC: 20
United Kingdom
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!

Keep searchin',
Martin

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)
ID: 1422559 · Report as offensive

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


 
©2024 University of California
 
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.