More Legs for Falcon 9
Elon Musk tweeted the latest image of the Falcon 9 being prepared for next month’s NASA CRS-3 mission.
Tag: RLV
SpaceX Prepares to Get a Leg Up on Everybody
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has tweeted the above image of the Falcon 9 V1.1 currently being readied for the NASA Commercial Resupply 3 (CRS-3) mission scheduled for March 17th. After some speculation due to scheduling, there is now no doubt that the next phase of the company’s efforts to develop first stage re-usability is about […]
SpaceX Grasshopper Climbs to 744 Meters
SpaceX released this video today of its Grasshopper reusable test article climbing to 744 meters, and then descending safely back to the pad at its McGregor, Texas development facility. Although the company will not be attempting to recover the Falcon 9 first stage on its next two flights, that of the SES-8 and Thaicom-6 satellites […]
One Thing Old, Two Things New; Proton Flies, OSC and SpaceX Triumph
It began with a historic berthing in LEO, and ended with the successful return to flight of a troubled booster steeped in anachronism. And right in the middle, the future emerged on a pillar of fire piercing a blue Pacific sky. To begin at the ending, the oft troubled Proton booster returned to flight Sunday […]
A Rocket on the Edge of Forever
It is after all, just a test launch. But what a test launch it is. Whenever the Falcon 9 v1.1 finally lifts off from Vandenberg, Ca. it will carry much more than a 700 lb. satellite, (as well as a couple of cubesats) which got a bargain basement price for accepting an elevated level of […]
SpaceX Introduces Retooled Website Featuring Falcon 9 Reusability
In case you haven’t been to the SpaceX website lately, its a good time to check it out. Gone are the old Battlestar Galactica stationary clipped corners, and in its place a slick new look which feels decidedly more corporate, (but not stodgy.) Two features should not be overlooked. The company is now […]
Next Stop for a New Hop : Spaceport America Welcomes SpaceX
Good news for both the state of New Mexico, and that of SpaceX’s Grasshopper RLV program. Apparently, if you build it, sometimes they really do come. Spaceport America Press Release Governor Susana Martinez today announced that Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, has signed a three-year agreement to lease land and facilities at Spaceport America to […]
Great Gams! Elon Musk Tweets a Shot Of Falcon Reusable Landing Strut
In case anyone is still not taking SpaceX’s attempt at developing a reusable version of the Falcon 9 seriously, Elon Musk tweeted this photo yesterday, of what is apparently a flight weight version of one of the Falcon 9-R’s four telescoping landing struts. Besides learning that the vehicle will be pronounced “F-niner,” a response to a subsequent tweet added a little more […]
SpaceX Grasshopper Climbs Another Step on the Stairway to the Heavens
Video : SpaceX Grasshopper performs another test flight, reaching a peak altitude of 820 feet, tripling its previous public record and holding station in high winds. Looking back from some future point in time, when the humanity has established itself as a multi planet species, historians are going question just why it was that in the post Shuttle era, NASA, the Air […]
Swiss Space Systems Introduces Partially Reusable Small Satellite Launcher
Swiss Space Systems (S3), entered the rapidly growing field of air-launched orbital delivery systems yesterday, with the official unveiling of a three stage architecture aimed at placing up to 250 kg small satellites into space. The first stage launch platform is an Airbus A-300 jet aircraft certified for zero-G, parabolic flights. In a departure from other concepts currently […]
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