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SpaceX's reusable rocket worked, now it wants more government business
Elon Musk has been trying to build a better rocket for awhile -- and now he's getting serious about getting SpaceX more business. Speaking at an event discussing the successful "soft" ocean landing (but failed recovery, due to storms and rough seas that prevented boats from reaching it for two days) of SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket prototype, Musk announced that the company is filing a complaint against the US Air Force, hoping to win the right to participate in launches that relate to national security. At issue is the government's contract with the United Launch Alliance, an exclusive launch agreement that keeps Musk's firm from competing for certain launches. The ULA won the contract, in part, because it has a very high launch success rate, but Musk says it's too expensive.
Watch SpaceX's second attempt at launching a reusable rocket (update: launched!)
After many "Grasshopper" tests, SpaceX's first real try at launching a reusable rocket will attempt flight again in just a few minutes -- watch the live stream here or embedded after the break. Scrubbed due to a helium leak a couple of days ago, the Falcon 9 rocket is once again facing gloomy skies, but according to launch control, everything is a go. Weather permitting, the launch is scheduled for 3:25PM ET. The Falcon 9-reusable rockets have already undergone their own testing, and you can see the latest video after the break.. Also important is what's onboard the Dragon cargo ship this rocket is launching. Headed to the ISS, it's bringing new supplies and a pair of extra-large, bendable legs for our friend Robonaut 2. Update: We have liftoff. Now that the rocket is aloft, while the capsule will head to the ISS, its first stage will attempt to reenter the atmosphere, and position itself for landing somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, before falling over into the water. This is still just a test run, but it will help scientists sort out any issues before they attempt a reentry and landing on... land in the future. The live video stream is ending, and it sounds like we'll have to monitor the @SpaceX Twitter account for updates on the landing attempt. There is a NASA post-launch press conference going on with Elon Musk participating by phone, check it out live here. Update (4/25): Elon Musk has called a press conference (live streaming on NBC News), and announced the Falcon 9's first stage "landed softly" in rough seas before being destroyed by the waves. Calling it a huge milstoen and "huge day" for SpaceX, he believes that it will be able to fly a first stage back and land it at Cape Canaveral by the end of this year.
Watch SpaceX's ambitious launch of a reusable rocket (update: launch scrubbed)
Haste makes waste, and you have to move awfully fast to break out of Earth's atmosphere. After today, however, space travel might be a tad more sustainable. SpaceX is testing a new, reusable version of its Falcon 9 rocket today. The test is tacked on to the company's regularly scheduled cargo mission, which carts supplies to the International Space Station -- but today's capsule will be pushed into orbit by a modified rocket featuring four large landing legs. The new design is supposed to break off during launch and slow its decent with a re-entry engine, eventually landing safely in the ocean to await recovery. Think of it as the natural evolution of the company's "Grasshopper" vertical takeoff and landing tests. If the recovery technology can be successfully developed, SpaceX says that it'll save millions of dollars on every launch. Unfortunately, there's only about a 30 to 40-percent chance of success. Either way, NASA is broadcasting the attempt at 3:45 PM ET today. Update: Scratch that, NASA just announced that the launch has been scrubbed. According to the organization's Twitter, it'll try again at 3:29pm ET this Friday.
SpaceX launches new Falcon 9 rocket with 60 percent stronger engines (video)
While most of the news about SpaceX has surrounded the Grasshopper lately, the firm has been plugging away at its Falcon rocket, too. This just-launched Falcon 9 (dubbed version 1.1) boasts 60 percent more powerful engines, longer fuel tanks and according to the Global Post, other new features that were designed to boost lift capacity and "simplify operations for commercial service." To that end, the spacecraft was carrying a science and communications satellite for Canada's MDA Corp. when it left Earth's atmosphere. The take-off comes just over five years after the first Falcon's departure, and its itinerary will take it around both poles. Just remember, for a cool $56.5 million you too can send a Falcon 9 into space.
Former SpaceX director Marco Villa joins Hyperloop development team
When it was unveiled a few weeks ago, Elon Musk's Hyperloop project sounded almost too good to be true. Dr. Marco Villa, former director of mission operations at SpaceX, was among those who didn't get the memo from the naysayers, as he's just joined a team set on elevating Hyperloop from fantasy to reality. The crowd-sourced startup platform JumpStartFund enabled the group's formation after the Hyperloop plans were posted there in August; since then, a handful of talented individuals, led by Villa, received permission from Musk to work on developing the project. Joining Villa on the mission to make your high-speed travel dreams a reality is Dr. Patricia Galloway, who once served as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (and was, notably, the first woman to hold that title). While the rail line is still a long way away from fruition, Villa seems optimistic, stating, "There does not seem to be any technical issues on this project that we can't solve, even if we do not know right away, we will figure it out."
Elon Musk shows off Iron Man-style rocket design with gestures and 3D printing (video)
In another confirmation that Elon Musk lives life differently from the rest of us, he's just posted a new SpaceX video that's straight out of a sci-fi movie. In it, he demonstrates designing parts for a rocket the company could use just with hand gestures using a Leap Motion controller. After that, we move to a 3D projection of the part, free standing glass projection just like Iron Man, and even an implementation with the Oculus Rift VR headset. While much of its appeal is watching a billionaire play with the latest tech toys, the video gives a peek at what's possible with technology that's actually available to a rapidly growing number of people. Inspiring stuff -- we'll see if we can finish the Hyperloop concept with a Kinect and an old Virtual Boy.
Daily Roundup: HTC kicks off $1 billion rebrand, Elon Musk's Hyperloop, Liquid E2 review, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Elon Musk vs. Jeff Bezos: Billionaires bid for NASA's space shuttle launchpad
Here's an epic fight that won't take place inside the octagon: Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are apparently competing to take over a NASA launchpad... and instead of dishing out jiu-jitsu moves, they're letting money do the talking. In particular, the dotcom billionaires' space companies, Blue Origin and SpaceX, are bidding for Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A -- site of NASA's first and last space shuttle blast-off. Each company's plan for 39A is to launch both unmanned missions and shuttles carrying commercial customers and astronaut crews into space. Bezos' Blue Origin, however, also aims to turn it into a multi-use facility where other companies can launch their rockets for a price. NASA's keeping bidding details on the down low, but seeing as it wants to offload 39A in October to save money, we'll know soon enough who'll win this battle of the dollars.[Image credit: NASA]
SpaceX shows off new nav gear with latest Grasshopper rocket launch-and-landing (video)
We've been watching as the SpaceX Grasshopper's leap has grown higher and higher with each successive launch (and landing!), and the rocket's flights never fail to impress. The reusable spacecraft's latest test is no exception: this time, the 'hopper sailed past its previous 840 feet record, stopping at 1,066 feet. According to the company, the launch had a "more precise" landing thanks to new sensors that measure distance between the ground and the vessel. It shows. The touch-down is both noticeably smoother than previous efforts and drama free compared to Russia's explosive incident in Kazakhstan. The private spaceflight company's latest video is after the break -- do yourself a favor and watch it in HD.
Visualized: SpaceX Dragon capsule at E3
There's plenty to look at around the E3 show floor this year, but few if any of the shiny new products have actually been to space. Pretty sad, if you ask us. Thankfully, SpaceX was on hand, showing off one of its Dragon capsules in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The unit that was on display was the first to reach the ISS, bringing along some sundries for the crew, but nothing particularly vital -- after all, it was a sort of test run. All went well, and the unit landed in the Pacific Ocean, within five kilometers of the company's calculations. Not too shabby. Of course, the thing burnt to a crisp in the process, with a marshmallow-like blackening of its edges (which is pretty evident in the gallery below). We couldn't get too close, sadly, due to the protective ropes bearing a "Don't Pet the Dragon" sign. After all, we don't want any showgoers turning into the Fantastic Four.%Gallery-191161%
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, live at D11
Elon Musk is a busy man. He's also a man who isn't afraid to speak his mind, as we found out during his SXSW keynote earlier this year. This evening, he's capping off a day of interviews at D11 with one of his own. As CEO of both Tesla Motors and SpaceX, he knows a thing or two about transportation -- both within this atmosphere and beyond. Grab a cup of cocoa and join us after the break as we cover it live, won't you?
SpaceX inks lease with Spaceport America, will push reusable rocket higher
Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Galactic crew will soon have a new neighbor at Spaceport America, as SpaceX has just signed a three-year lease to the facility. Central to the agreement, SpaceX will move its Grasshopper reusable rocket test program from McGregor, Texas to the southern New Mexico desert, where it aims to push Grasshopper higher than before. According to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, the move was due to New Mexico's favorable regulatory situation, along with the physical landscape of the Spaceport America site. As fun as that sounds, though, we'd like to imagine that the opportunity to rub shoulders with other celebs in the commercial space industry clinched the decision.[Photo credit: Spaceport America / Flickr]
The Daily Roundup for 04.23.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
SpaceX's Grasshopper VTOL rocket triples its previous best with 840-foot hop (video)
If it were in Aesop's fable, SpaceX's Grasshopper would probably be the ant instead, as the reusable rocket's team haven't stopped working since the 10-story craft launched back in September. It just tripled its previous altitude mark of 263 feet by soaring to 840 feet, hovering a tick, then gently landing on the exact spot it took off, all while making it look easy. Head after the jump for a video of the whole affair, which was captured rather dramatically by the company's hexacopter.
SpaceX's Merlin 1D engine gets flight qualified, Musk expects launch this year (update)
It's been quite the eventful year for the team at SpaceX. A few weeks after sending a Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, Elon Musk's company announced that its Merlin 1D engine managed to snag flight qualification, thanks to 1,970 seconds of testing time at its McGregor, Texas facility. That adds up to more than 10 full mission durations. The engine scored a ratio of 4:1 for critical engine life parameters, well above the industry's 2:1 standard. SpaceX will waste little time in getting it off the ground -- Musk said the engine will be taking off this year, as part of a Falcon 9 flight. Update: Now with more video.
We're live at Elon Musk's SXSW keynote
Electric cars and commercial space flight -- what more could a person want? The Tesla / SpaceX founder is bringing all of that to his keynote on this, this second day of South By Southwest Interactive. The exec has never been on to mince words, so this ought to be an interesting one. Join us after the break, won't you?
Watch live: SpaceX's Dragon capsule will rendezvous with the ISS today, coverage begins at 3:30AM ET (update: success!)
We told you about it late yesterday, but now it's about time for the livestream of SpaceX's Dragon capsule reaching the International Space Station. If all's going as planned, the craft would've begun some preliminary maneuvers toward the ISS roughly an hour ago. According to the company, astronauts aboard the ISS will attempt to grapple it with a robotic arm at 6:36AM ET. If that's successful, the actual berthing of the capsule is set to begin at 8AM. Don't take our word for it, catch the NASA TV live feed (coverage starts at 3:30AM) at embedded after the break! Here's to wishing that all continues to go well overall on this resupply effort! Update 8:21AM: Dragon was captured at 5:31AM and the berthing process is currently taking place. The capsule should be fully in place by roughly 9:40AM! We've also updated the feed past the break, as it was originally pulling from NASA TV's public feed, rather than the ISS feed -- apologies for any inconvenience. Update 9:03 AM: Dragon was successfully berthed the space station at 8:56AM, ahead of scheduele like much of the event. And with that, NASA has ended coverage of the event. Now those onboard the station will be focused on unloading the supplies it's carrying. Dragon will return to Earth for a splashdown on March 25th. As always, hit the NASA source link for more detailed info. Catch a picture of Dragon attached to the ISS's Harmony node just past the break.
NASA: SpaceX Dragon capsule to reach ISS on March 3rd at 6:01AM ET
Didn't get enough of the Dragon capsule launch this week? Good news, because after a day's delay due to (now remedied, according to NASA and SpaceX) faults with three clusters of its Draco thrusters, the capsule is set to be grappled by the International Space Station at 6:31AM ET on March 3rd (tomorrow morning). If you'll recall, the mission is mainly aimed at getting refreshed supplies and some experiments up to the space station. As an aside, NASA also notes that Dragon is still set to arrive back on earth for a splashdown on the 25th, as initially planned. If you're up for it, NASA TV coverage starts at 3:30AM the same day and the final berthing process (actually getting the capsule connected to the ISS) should happen after 8AM -- all that said, initial "orbital maneuvers" are set for 2AM, according to a tweet from Elon Musk. For more details on this stage of the mission, including those involved, blast over to the NASA source link below -- and make sure you've got enough coffee ready.
Watch SpaceX's Dragon capsule liftoff at 10:10AM ET today (update: video!)
You've no doubt seen plenty of video of SpaceX rocket launches on this very site, but let's face it, nothing compares to seeing a live launch. Great news for fans of watching things slip the surly bonds of Earth: the commercial space company's Dragon capsule is set to do precisely that atop a Falcon 9 carrier rocket at 10:10AM ET this very morning -- you know, roughly half an hour from now. The unmanned rocket will deliver supplies to astronauts aboard the International Space Station. And if you're not currently within driving distance of Cape Canaveral and in possession of the the proper clearances, you're still in luck. You can watch a livestream of the event unfold in the source link below. And for more space action, make sure to check out the latest episode of the Engadget Show. Update: We have liftoff! Update 2: While the rocket liftoff seems to have gone according to plan, the company has reported a problem with the capsule. According to a tweet from Elon Musk, there's an "issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override." Update 3: Miss this morning's festivities? No worries, just hop the break to find an embedded video of the launch.
Watch SpaceX's Grasshopper rocket hover, from its own point of view (video)
Ever wonder what it would be like to hover 131 feet above the ground through rocket power? You could come close with a jetpack, or you could watch a new SpaceX video that shows the Grasshopper reusable rocket's own perspective. The new angle on a December test flight emphasizes just how quick and precise the hover routine has become: it takes little time for the Grasshopper to stop at its intended altitude, and the rocket doesn't bob or sway to any significant degree. We'd most like to see the rocket reach its full two-mile potential, but we'll gladly be distracted by the recent footage found after the break.
