Space X releases video of 1000 meter flight of Falcon 9R test vehicle
SpaceX's Falcon 9R booster ascended some 1000 meters into the sky during a recent test flight. Image Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX has released a video of their Falcon 9R Reusable Development Vehicle (F9R) flight test at their McGregor, Texas facility. This was the first flight test of the rocket’s steerable fins that control the rocket during flyback. The fins deploy on the Falcon 9R a minute and fifteen seconds into the flight as the booster ascends some 1,000 meters into the air only to return to its previous position on the pad. SpaceX mentioned that the future flight tests of F9R will take place in Las Cruces, New Mexico where they will allow it to fly at a higher altitude. The F9R is a step towards completing their Grasshopper program by next year.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has stated hopes of retrieving the first stage of the Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket to use for the next flight, something that, to date, no other company currently does. Musk’s has said that his firm’s ultimate goal is sending humans to Mars which is something he believes will happen in the next ten to twelve years.
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Heather Smith
Heather Smith's fascination for space exploration – started at the tender age of twelve while she was on a sixth-grade field trip in Kenner, Louisiana, walking through a mock-up of the International Space Station and seeing the “space potty” (her terminology has progressed considerably since that time) – she realized at this point that her future lay in the stars. Smith has come to realize that very few people have noticed how much spaceflight technology has improved their lives. She has since dedicated herself to correcting this problem. Inspired by such classic literature as Anne Frank’s Diary, she has honed her writing skills and has signed on as The Spaceflight Group’s coordinator for the organization’s social media efforts.
