Posted on 08/15/2013 1:19:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Founded in 2002, SpaceX makes its cargo capsules and rockets at a sprawling facility in Hawthorne that was once used to assemble fuselage sections for Boeing 747s.
The company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has successfully carried out two cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station for NASA. It is the only commercial company to do so.
It was founded by Los Angeles billionaire Elon Musk, who earlier this week laid out plans for his Hyperloop transportation system to much fanfare. The design aims to take travelers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 35 minutes.
Video of the test can be seen above. SpaceX used a small drone to film the flight, which captured all the footage from above.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
perhaps of interest?
That is pretty awesome.
SO we have how many private sector companies building and preparing to reach orbit?
That shuttle from that Sierra Nevada whatever was absolutely cool
You sure that isn’t CGI?
Just sayin’, you can’t just believe every video you see anymore.
About 5 I think.
This particular technology is amazing — like something form an 1950s Sci-Fi flicks. I am curious about how much fuel they will need to carry into orbit in order to come back down safely. Seems like a lot of weight.
Whilst states(intentionally or not) around the globe are striving for tribes of Troglodytes, it is nice to see human advancements are still possible.
With the Space Shuttles retired, this is America’s best hope for putting men in space again. I trust nobody here wants to depend on rides from the Russians or the Chinese.
You couldn’t get me onto a space rocket to space if you paid me.
This is actually their latest test with the video posted today. The grasshopper climbs 300 meters and moves 100 meters laterally, then returns to the pad. It’s pretty startling to see a rocket leaning a bit.
If the rocket contained only enough fuel to fly 800 feet up, then this is a lame, pathetic joke.
On the other hand, if the rocket contained enough fuel to fly to LA (or ballast weight to simulate that), then consider me duly impressed.
Do you know which is true?
It’s a test model designed to test hardware and software for vertical landings so it only has enough fuel to takeoff, hover, and return to the pad.
That reminded me of those rockets you used to see in those cheesy 50’s low-budget sci-fi movies.
Doesn’t seem like NASA is in the budget with all the waste and graft and payoffs to unions.
Actually here is the shuttle replacement that was wheeled out of the hanger this week for ground tests. It’s called the ‘Dream Chaser’ and it’s smaller but it will get us in orbit to the space station.
http://spaceref.com/spaceflight/dream-chaser-completes-ground-tow-tests.html
A ground ... tow ?
McDonnell Douglas accomplished that feat 20 years ago:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/x-33/dc-xa.htm
Now this, children, is ROCKET SCIENCE!!!
Think what this demonstrates, variable thrust, perfect gyros, attitude changing, drift correction and certainly scads more that I am not even thinking about. This is excellent work and I pray it keeps going.
Try balancing a broom on your fingertip and walking a mile.
The dinosaurs did not colonize space; there is a lesson to be learned here.
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