F9R Grasshopper Successor

Neat! The successor to Grasshopper is this new, full F9R. It will be fun watching this thing fly.

Grasshopper's successor flies at SpaceX's McGregor site

We need video but hopefully that will come.

http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/joe_science/grasshopper-s-successor-flies-at-spacex-s-mcgregor-site/article_66310240-c67f-11e3-bf29-001a4bcf887a.html

"Reports have been confirmed that SpaceX's Falcon 9-R development vehicle made its first free flight today at McGregor — taking off, hovering, moving sideways and landing."

I suppose this is another lower altitude test which is why they did it in at the McGregor site instead of here in New Mexico. Once they have confirmed its effectiveness they'll transport it here for the high altitude testing. Combine what they learn from the CRS-3 test and other major flight tests and they'll be on their way to full reusability.

Very cool. Looks like they parked the Grasshopper nearby.

Those legs look like the real deal (i.e. identical to the ones they have on the launch today), very minimalist and light. They don't seem nearly as robust as the grasshopper legs.

Right after takeoff you can see the thrust vectoring going on as the rocket immediately starts moving 'right', then halts the drift.

The cattle herd seems pretty close to the launch site. Front row seats!

You mean this video: http://youtu.be/0UjWqQPWmsY

palmer_md said:

The cattle herd seems pretty close to the launch site. Front row seats!

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Let's just hope for no roast beef...

Is it just me or does it seem like the paint on the legs is burning on the way back down? The legs actually seem to be taking quite a bit of heat as the air is pushing the thrust back upwards around them during the descent. I wonder how much of an impact this actually has.

Very cool video, thanks for the link!

doug said:

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That is freaking majestic! It makes me envision Elon as a science crazy 12 year old in the backyard playing with a rocket kit. How great would it be to own the ranch nearby (evidenced by the cows) and to sit on your porch and watch that. Incredible.

I do feel sorry for the cows at the beginning of the video. They were just enjoying breakfast when 'bam' a rocket takes off

Whew, I finally got the grasshopper fix I needed. Fantastic. I love that you get a great horizon shot right at the peak of the flight.

Just think, by next year we'll be seeing this happen with the real thing. SpaceX and Elon are just awesome to have achieved this.

BTW, this isn't the grasshopper - this is almost the real thing - this is an F9 rocket, with the real legs doing a test hover and landing.

Cosmacelf said:

BTW, this isn't the grasshopper - this is almost the real thing - this is an F9 rocket, with the real legs doing a test hover and landing.

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Are these the real legs? They are legs, but they don't look like the ones they attached to the launched F9. These look like permanent landing legs. I'd love to see the F9R actually have the same legs and have them deploy after a hover.

That is watching history being made. Awesome.

Grendal said:

Are these the real legs? They are legs, but they don't look like the ones they attached to the launched F9. These look like permanent landing legs. I'd love to see the F9R actually have the same legs and have them deploy after a hover.

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These are the real legs. Just that they start folded out.

This is awesome. Now dreaming the next steps:

- see the F9R Grasshopper retract and then re-deploy its landing legs
- see the vehicle do some serious high speed reentry like maneuvers, e.g. flying horizontally, then turning in mid-air to brake...