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SpaceX proves its reusable rocket can land at sea
The folks at SpaceX have successfully demonstrated that their Falcon 9 rocket really is capable of blasting off to orbit and landing back down on a drone ship. It stuck a ground landing back in December 2015 after a handful of failed attempts to land at sea -- Falcon 9 reached the barge and nearly made it in all those previous instances, but something always went awry. This time, the rocket gracefully touched down on the ship named "Of Course I Still Love You" after ferrying a Dragon capsule with supplies for the ISS, thanks in part to its recent upgrades.
Leaked barge video shows SpaceX rocket landing up close
Another day, another video angle looking at the almost-landing of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. This time, the video is from the barge itself, although there's no word on exactly how it got from there to a post on Reddit. Whatever its provenance (SpaceX has not commented yet) it certainly appears to be legit and gives us the closest view yet of exactly what happened. According to Kanye West biographer CEO Elon Musk, despite the rocket's explosive ending the "droneship" is fine, with no hull breach and in need of only minor repairs. Enjoy this video, since as we mentioned yesterday, SpaceX may make its next rocket landing attempt on land.
Here's video of SpaceX's rocket landing, and the explosion
Yesterday SpaceX made another unsuccessful try at landing a Falcon 9 first stage on a barge in the ocean, but the fuzzy Vine clip posted cut off right before things got exciting. Today, the company posted a longer, higher res video but quickly pulled it from YouTube. Now, you can see exactly what happens when one of those 200-foot tall rockets misses the mark. Yesterday CEO Elon Musk said the issue "should be easy to fix", and judging by the video it wasn't far off from success. If you need any more reasons to stay optimistic, SpaceX COO told DefenseNews that the company's next landing attempt may come on land instead of at sea, because of the difficulty in keeping a rocket upright on a moving barge -- as we all can now see. Update: The official video is back, and you can watch it after the break.
SpaceX's next try at landing a reusable rocket is minutes away (update: take 2)
In January, Elon Musk's SpaceX came close to a controlled landing of one of its rockets after a quick trip to space, before things took a fiery, explosive turn for the worst. Today, assuming all goes well and those X wing fins remain powered, it will try again. A launch scheduled for 4:33PM ET will send supplies to the International Space Station as a part of the CRS-6 mission, before the Falcon 9's first stage will try to land itself on a barge in the ocean. Creating rockets that can used again could help cut the cost of sending stuff to space, so there's a lot at stake beyond just looking cool in its Grasshopper demos. The launch will be webcast live starting at 4:15PM (the video feed is embedded after the break) although we'll have to wait a bit longer to see if the landing is successful. Update: No launch today due to weather (Elon Musk tweeted it's "due to lighting from an approaching anvil cloud"). The next launch attempt is scheduled for tomorrow at 4:10PM ET. Update (4/14): The next launch attempt is about to take place, with SpaceX calling the weather "60% for a go." As we saw yesterday, lightning and clouds can derail things quickly, but take a peek after the break for the live stream, which is scheduled to begin at 3:50PM ET. Update 2 (4/14 4:27PM): The CRS-6 mission has successfully launched. By now the first stage should have returned to Earth, but there's no live feed from the barge to know if it was successful or not. Once we hear word if it's landed we will update to let you know. Update 3 (4/14 4:45PM): Still no video, but the word is in from Elon Musk -- the rocket landed too hard for survival.
Watch SpaceX launch its Falcon 9 rocket and try to land it on a barge (updated)
Very soon at around 6:20 4:47 AM EST today SpaceX will launch one its mighty Falcon 9 rockets carrying a Dragon capsule, weather permitting. "Big deal!" you may well say. "What's another rocket launch?" We're sure you're not that jaded (they're all amazing) but this one is pretty special. After the Dragon is up and away doing its thing (carrying ISS cargo, to be exact), the 14-story tall first stage will attempt to make a precision landing on an ocean platform only 300x100 feet in size. Though the Falcon 9 has touched down on the ocean before, this is the first precision barge landing it'll make. Even the normally brash Musk said "the odds of success are not great -- perhaps 50 percent at best." That makes things extra exciting, so grab your popcorn and check the video below. Update: the Falcon 9 launch and recovery has been aborted, apparently due to some kind of issue with the second stage. The next launch window could be as early as this Friday. Update (01/10/15) by Mariella Moon: SpaceX is on track to launch the Falcon 9 rocket in a few minutes and then land the first stage on a barge when it makes its way back down. If all goes well, Elon Musk will finally be able to party at Cocoa Beach today. Update (01/10/15) by Mariella Moon: The launch was a success! Well, sort of. Dragon 9's first stage landed too hard on the barge, but Elon Musk says it "bodes well for the future."
Google's peculiar floating barge meets its maker
Remember Google's mysterious floating barge? Well, you probably won't for much longer, because it's met an untimely end. According to the Portland Press Herald, the search giant no longer has a use for the iconic four-story structure, so it's been sold to an anonymous "international barging company" and will be broken down for scrap. It's a rather damp end for the barge, which was set to become a high-tech showroom for inventions like Glass, self-driving cars and other top-secret inventions from Google's X lab, after it first appeared in Portland Harbor late last year. Google's yet to comment on why it's no longer interested in hosting tech-centric cocktail parties, but cost is likely the ultimate factor. It paid $400,000 in property taxes alone to moor the barge on the city's waterfront -- then there's also the small matter of retrofitting its 63 shipping containers into something that Californians would actually want to visit.
Google Barge bids farewell to San Francisco, to make Stockton its new California home
Still think of the Google Barge as a wacky idea from a company that makes more money than it knows what to do with? Well, Mountain View will soon prove that a floating building has its merits: for one, when the company gets in trouble with authorities, it can get the hell out of dodge... literally. According to CNET, the vessel is slated to set sail to Stockton, California, after it was discovered in early February that it didn't have a construction permit in San Francisco. The barge is still a work in progress (hence the need for the proper paperwork), but once it's done, it will showcase the company's more avant-garde creations like Glass, autonomous cars and other projects from Google X's lab. Google's moving because the 35-day window it got from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to secure a permit is almost up. Without the permit, Google's liable to be fined up to $30,000. Clearly, even though 30 grand is pocket change for the tech giant, it chose to pack its bags and finish construction in friendlier waters (read: outside BCDC's jurisdiction). A rep from the Treasure Island neighborhood (where the barge is currently moored) said the vessel could leave as soon as next week, and since Stockton's just on the other side of the bay from SF, it'll be there in no time. Fingers crossed that Google can now focus on finishing construction, because we can't wait to confirm if the barge's party deck exists.
Google's so-called mystery barge must relocate in light of permit blunder (updated)
Sure, Google's so-called mystery barge is a little less, well, mysterious now that we know it's meant to be "an interactive space where people can learn about new technology," but the tale of its creation continues the theme of intrigue. After receiving complaints about the craft's construction, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission looked into Mountain View's project and discovered that the proper paperwork wasn't in order. As it turns out, the city of San Francisco nor the Treasure Island Development Authority, which gave Google the green light to set up shop in the bay, had applied for the permits necessary to let work begin at the raft's current location. According to Larry Goldzband, the commission's executive director, Page and Co. must move the vessel, and sending it to a permitted construction spot in the bay would do just fine. The future might not be as rosy for the Treasure Island Development Authority, however, as Goldzband says they could face fines and enforcement proceedings for stepping out of line. This isn't the first time Google's float has had a run in with government officials either. Last fall, the US Coast Guard inspected the watercraft and seems to have suggested some design changes. The paperwork blunder likely won't mean much for the barge in the long term, but we've reached out to Google for word on how they'll adjust to the troubles. Update: Google's chimed in to let us know it's still digesting the permit news: "We just received the letter from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and we are reviewing it."
Here's what Google's mystery barge is going to look like
What's 50-feet tall, 250-feet long and outfitted with decorative "fish fin" sails? Google's so-called mystery barge, apparently. Mum's still the word in Mountain View, but at the Port of San Francisco, details about the floating technology scow are starting to emerge. Documents obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle through the Freedom of Information Act describe an "unprecedented artistic structure" built from recycled shipping containers with collapsable sails "reminiscent of fish fins, which will remind visitors that they are on a seaworthy vessel." It's also expected to carry 1,000 visitors a day, docking at ports in San Francisco, Fort mason, Redwood City and at the Riveter Historical National Park in Richmond. On board, an exhibition area will be used for "local organizations to engage with guests and gain visibility in a unique way." Although the above statements come from paperwork filed by a firm called By and Large LLC, they closely match the simple description Google issued earlier this week, which said it was "exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology." That plan still seems to be in the early stages though, as the Port of San Francisco says the documents are just part of a preliminary proposal. It seems like Google still has some permits to hurdle before it can finish the sea-bound showroom, but the documents promises it'll be a sight to see in the end. "The artistic structure combines innovative architecture with a bit of nautical whimsy," it says. "The structure will stand out." Sounds like it.
Google finally talks barges: it's an 'interactive space where people can learn about new technology'
It's stayed mum as speculation has run rampant about just what the "mystery barges" under construction in San Francisco and Portland, Maine will actually be used for, but Google has now finally offered its first official comment on the matter. In a statement provided to TechCrunch, a Google spokesperson says that while "it's still early days and things may change," the company is "exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology." That mostly lines up with a report from San Francisco TV station KPIX 5 last week that the barges would serve as a "high-end showroom," although Google seems to be downplaying the existence of a "party deck." Unfortunately, the company still isn't offering much more than that brief comment, so it remains to be seen just what those interactive spaces will look like.
Google's mysterious San Francisco barge may host a modular showroom (video)
For roughly a week, San Franciscans have been speculating about a mysterious, Google-owned barge moored off Treasure Island. Is it a secret lab? A parking lot for autonomous cars? According to sources speaking to local TV station KPIX 5, the truth is slightly less exciting -- if still very strange. The containers onboard the ship are reportedly for a modular Google X showroom with a party deck for VIPs on top. The company could reassemble its venue anywhere in the world, letting it pitch technologies like Google Glass without having to rent a building... or find solid ground, for that matter. Just don't expect to pay a visit any time soon. The tipsters claim that the project is on hold for various reasons, including a need to comply with naval regulations. Google isn't commenting on the barge's true purpose; however, you're more than welcome to present alternative theories in the comments.
Visualized: Enterprise cruises around Jersey on its air, land and sea triathlon
On our last episode of "Spot the Enterprise," the grizzled shuttle prototype was being unloaded from a wheeled transporter after a private 747 flight. Now it's arrived on a barge at New Jersey, and onlookers on cruise ships, beaches and Coney Island were treated to a glimpse of the wayfaring craft. After a quick layover, it'll begin the final stage of its comeback tour by sailing up the Hudson River where it'll thrill crowds forever more at Manhattan's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Big show-off.
