The last time that Stuff checked in on SpaceX’s Grasshopper VTOL rocket it was traversing the skies laterally. The successful test of sideways movement doesn’t mean that Elon Musk’s company has given up aiming for new heights however, the latest test is the reusable rocket’s highest jump to date.
Back in July this year, a 325 metre jump by the Grasshopper was the record. The newest vertical launch, captured by hexacopter, has set the bar at 744 metres, almost double its previous best. And yes, touchdown was successful.
A reusable rocket out of mid-20th century science fiction might be within SpaceX’s reach. In September this year, following a successful test of a new Falcon 9 rocket, The Verge reported Elon Musk as saying that “…between this flight & Grasshopper tests, I think we now have all the pieces of the puzzle to bring the rocket back home.”
Source: via The Verge