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Grasshopper: vertical takeoff and landing

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Video of the Week #101, July 18th, 2013: From:Physics Week in Review: July 13, 2013 by Jennifer Ouellette at Cocktail Party Physics. Source:SpaceX YouTube Channel, via Phil Plait. Rocket ships have always been a staple of space exploration programs, but wouldn't it be great if the boosters could be recycled for future missions, instead of being disposable? That's part of the thinking behind the "Grasshopper" prototype rocket from Space-X: a Vertical Takeoff/Vertical Landing (VTVL) rocket that enables it to land precisely back at the original launch site. On June 14, 2013, Space-X conducted its latest successful test flight, reaching a height of more than 1000 feet.