Space X Grasshopper VTL Rocket

Greenlantern101

Super Hero And All Round Good Guy
Contributor
The space X Vertical take off AND LANDING rocket 'Grasshopper' just got even more amazing.. Now demonstrating tacking sideways in hover. Impressive for a thing the same size as a tower block with nobody controlling it.

:cheer:

 
Yes, that is pretty cool but the amount of fuel it chucks away to do that sort of thing makes me wonder how viable it is. To use that capability requires more fuel, more fuel equals more weight which equals bigger rocket to launch same size payload as more simple rocket. Sometimes the maths don't add up.
 
Back on topic. It wasn't rain that cancelled the launch it was, and I quote...

'A thrust vector control actuator for the Falcon 9’s second stage failed to perform as expected, resulting in a launch abort.'

:dunno:
 
Take off worked, but the landing of the first stage on the sea platform was too fast and the rocket broke. It was on target it just needed to slow down more. Better luck next time. Seems to be no footage of the crash landing.

 
"Close" in spaceflight generally equals disaster. This early in this particular program, however, it should be a rather large learning experience.

I hope they have better luck next time.
 
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The project leader posted there was no video of the landing due to it being dark and foggy at sea. Obviously conditions for a safe scheduled launch are way more important than conditions for an experimental landing.
 
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