We know that rockets can go up, but what about coming down to the exact same place again without anyone inside to control it? Yep, this is quite impressive alright.
The rocket in question is the Grasshopper, which was manufactured by SpaceX, a company involved in space exploration who have already been behind two flights to International Space Station this year.
Earlier this week, they posted video footage of a test flight in Texas in which the Grasshopper scaled a height of 325 metres before landing in the exact same position it took off from, which in theory would dispense with the need for rockets to burn up on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere.
The rocket itself is not manned and uses sensors and a guidance system to navigate back to its original launching point and on this evidence, it certainly works.
People might not care about space exploration and everything that goes with it as much as they used to but this is an impressive sight alright.
Hat-tip: Slate
