SpX Grass_Hopper tests (divert maneuver)

[Dr Mordrid]

Grass_Hopper 1 flies to 325+ meters, plus it has a new navigation sensor (radar) for precision landings. Video from their Hexacopter mounted HD camera.

Grass_Hopper 1 has only a few more flights at McGregor Texas because of a 2500 ft altitude restriction. Higher flights will use Grass_Hopper 2, a new vehicle based on Falcon 9 v1.1, which will fly from SpacePort America in New Mexico. It will be cleared for development flights to 300,000+ ft.

The maiden flight of Falcon 9 v1.1, which is to be upgradable to the reusable F9-R, has it's maiden flight scheduled for September. After its lower stage separates it will attempt a water "landing" offshore from Vandenberg AFB in California. Later attempts will be on land using hw/sw developed using Grass_Hopper 2.

SpaceX recently posted an image of its new ltransporter-erector/tower. Pic bottom, with a full concept image with Falcon Heavy. V1.1 will form the core stage of Falcon Heavy, and it has also been doing a series of test firings.

On June 14, SpaceX's Gr****opper flew 325 m (1066 feet)--higher than Manhattan's Chrysler Building--before smoothly landing back on the pad. For the first time in this test, Gr****opper made use of its full navigation sensor suite with the F9-R closed loop control flight algorithms to accomplish a precision landing. Most rockets are equipped with sensors to determine position, but these sensors are generally not accurate enough to accomplish the type of precision landing necessary with Gr****opper.

Previous Gr****opper tests relied on the other rocket sensors but for this test, an additional, higher accuracy sensor was in the control loop. In other words, SpaceX was directly controlling the vehicle based on new sensor readings, adding a new level of accuracy in sensing the distance between Gr****opper and the ground, enabling a more precise landing.

Gr****opper is a 10-story Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing (VTVL) vehicle designed to test the technologies needed to return a rocket back to Earth intact. While most rockets are designed to burn up on atmosphere reentry, SpaceX rockets are being designed not only to withstand reentry, but also to return to the launch pad for a vertical landing. The Gr****opper VTVL vehicle represents a critical step towards this goal.

Gr****opper consists of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage tank, Merlin 1D engine, four steel and aluminum landing legs with hydraulic dampers, and a steel support structure.

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[Dr Mordrid]

Falcon 9 v1.1 / F9-R / Falcon Heavy core stage test fire - 60% more powerful than the original F9 v1.0

[Dr Mordrid]

We now have a handle on future Gr****opper and Gr****opper 2 tests. From the SpaceX site we have this about the tests at McGregor, which indicates a max of 3x the altitude achieved so far

Conducted at SpaceX’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas, Gr****opper will undergo a series of test flights at progressively higher altitudes, topping out with a hover at 1,000 meters with engine shutdown and restart.

That engine shutdown & restart should be exciting. And FlightGlobal has published this -

SpaceX has confirmed it will bring a nine-engine vehicle to Spaceport America in New Mexico to test reusable technology, rather than the Gr****opper reusability test bed currently flying in Texas.

In contrast to Gr****opper, which flies with one Merlin 1D engine and associated tankage, the new vehicle will closely resemble the Falcon 9-R core stage that had its first firing at SpaceX's test stand in McGregor, Texas, with nine engines and eventually a potential second stage.
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The Falcon 9-R is essentially a rebranding of the existing Falcon 9 v1.1, with a focus on its reusable technologies.

"This new generation is what will eventually return to Earth," SpaceX says.

Renderings of Falcon 9 recently released include retractable legs. The legs are included on Falcon 9 Heavy, essentially three cores bolted together, the first launch of which is expected in 2014.
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[Dr Mordrid]

Diversion maneuver was a success!! I'm beginning to wonder what they could do to crater this bird?

NOTE: do not try this with a Proton

On August 13th, the Falcon 9 test rig (code name Gr****opper) completed a divert test, flying to a 250m altitude with a 100m lateral maneuver before returning to the center of the pad. The test demonstrated the vehicle's ability to perform more aggressive steering maneuvers than have been attempted in previous flights.

Gr****opper is taller than a ten story building, which makes the control problem particularly challenging. Diverts like this are an important part of the trajectory in order to land the rocket precisely back at the launch site after reentering from space at hypersonic velocity.

[Dr Mordrid]

One has to wonder if this is the last GH1 flight at McGregor, TX. Any diverts larger than this could put a potential crater on public roads or other properties.

If it's the last flight at McGregor the upcoming flights will happen at New Mexico's SpacePort America (aka: SSA), most likely with Gr****opper 2 which is based on the new and much larger Falcon 9 v1.1 core.

Anyhow....this is a much better angle on the recent divert flight.

Elon Musk @elonmusk

Same rocket flight, but this time with cows!