Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, an investor in SpaceX, was recently at the company’s Texas test facility and got a look at Grasshopper (above), SpaceX’s reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator. About a year ago SpaceX revealed its plans to develop a reusable version of the Falcon 9 rocket, including a first stage that would fly back to the launch pad. Grasshopper is the company’s first major step in demonstrating that ability to fly back and land vertically.
At the AIAA Space 2012 conference in Pasadena, California, on Tuesday, SpaceX’s Brian Bjelde said that Grasshopper will fly for the first time in the near future, having already completed a static test. “As of last week, we did a static fire of the engine on the Grasshopper,” he said. “Very soon we’re going to be a couple of little mini hops. Then we’ll do hops up to 1,000 feet, some hovers, maybe even higher.” The higher flights are pending approval of the FAA, which has given clearance for the initial, lower-altitude tests, he said.
That thing is HUGE!. Should be fun to watch.
FANSTASTIC!!
Appsolutely Ron!!
You know I’ve been watching Space X for years and I marvel at their progress and their plans for the future. So much so that I’m beginning to get a wee bit nervous about some corperate led attempt to sabotage them! Do you think I’m just being paranoid?
These are the guys that are going to get us to space settlement and to the next economic boom.
SpaceX designers: Take a tip from the Masten Space Xaero loss. Use a backup parachute.
I don’t think weight will be an issue with the Merlin engine.
On the other hand, you people at SpaceX have probably already thought of that contingency.
Go Grasshopper! Go SpaceX!
Arnold: It sounds like the Masten failure was at too low an altitude for a parachute to have worked (see: Parabolic Arc)
I knew it was only a matter of time
Video from the first flight: link
If you are near McGregor, the Grasshopper is is clearly visible from the road.
There is also considerable construction going on in the area of the big test stand.