Grasshopper 744m Test | Single Camera (Hexacopter)

SpaceX · 6.6M views · 2013-10-12 · 1:37

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Overview

SpaceX footage of the Grasshopper vehicle's 744 m test hop, filmed from a hexacopter that gets closer than earlier flights. Grasshopper was a vertical takeoff and landing rig built to test returning rockets to the pad.

On Hacker News

Used as the go-to clip showing SpaceX's reusable-rocket landing tests, often in comparisons with other vertical landing programs.

Recommended by 1 HN people across 1 months · HN mentions 2014–2021

Topics

Space exploration & spaceflight

What people said

BrandonMarc · 2014-04 · Recommendation
That would be awesome. I was astounded the first time I saw one of their McGregor, Texas rocket tests from the point-of-view of a hexacopter flying near the rocket's flightpath. [VIDEO] In this video, the copter is actually HOVERING ABOVE the rocket as the rocket descends back down to the launchpad. The only time I've ever seen something like that before was Hollywood (Apollo 13, and then when the footage was re-used in Austin Powers 2).
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nickik · 2021-03 · Reference
The DC-X was a tiny compared to Starship. Starship uses revolutionary new Full-Flow Staged Combustion engines that have never flown. Starship is testing a never used before method of reentry and guidence. Starship is testing a never used before method of landing. Starship is testing never used before method of heat shielding tiles and how to attach them. Starship is not just testing the ship itself, but also the mass manufacturing line for Starship. Its not a test mule, its a mass production pipeline that is being designed at the same time as the product it produces. Will likely be the first Orbital rocket to use Methlox fuel. The DC-X was a fundamental dead-end, many of its engineers went to BlueOrigin and worked on New Shepard, a sub-orbital only hopper. SpaceX Grasshopper is more comparable to the DC-X then the DC-X to Starship. [VIDEO] That program likely cost less then $60 million.
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quentusrex · 2015-12 · Reference
Not only this, but the spacex grasshopper test was the first that I saw that had the rocket do a vertical takeoff, and then land. [VIDEO]
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Sources

Video by SpaceX, played through YouTube.

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