All of our eyes were fixated on the high definition screen television. The volume was turned down, but the thunderous noises of the Merlin engines still created echoes throughout the room. Then came the moment we were all waiting for: as we caught our breaths, we saw SpaceX's Grasshopper land from a height of 744m on to its launching platform. An applause rang from the crowd of spectators and a few high-fives went around. We knew that we were one step closer to the end of the testing phase and the actual implementation of this reusable rocket.
That's what I said: a reusable rocket. Starting in 2012, SpaceX began to launch the Grasshopper on a routine-basis in hopes that it would change the rocket industry. The first stages of the testing program required a lot of risk and patience. "Over the next few months, we'll gradually increase the altitude and speed, " Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, explains, "I do think there probably will be some craters along the way; we'll be very lucky if there are no craters. Vertical landing is an extremely important breakthrough " extreme, rapid reusability. It's as close to aircraft-like dispatch capability as one can achieve. " Fortunately for Musk and everyone who has contributed to this program, little to no "craters " have been in their way of success. The new idea of sustainable rockets have " excuse the pun " finally taken flight.
The idea seemed to be farther away than expected. Even Jon Hilt a graduate student from NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering and now a Propulsion Analyst for SpaceX expressed his disbelief in this rocket progression. "I don't think I ever imagined a company actually doing it. At least in my lifetime. That's more like space travel like you see in the movies, " he stated. The Sci-Fi fantasies that have once and are still captivating minds today are slowly becoming a reality, pushing the old ideas of rockets out of the picture.