This is a thread where you can share videos and information about future missions and general information about the future of space exploration and aerospace. SpaceX Aims to achieve a single stage to orbit and return craft. A fully re-usable craft will reduce the cost of space flight dramatically. Spacecraft fuel usually accounts for less than 4% of a craft's cost, often even less. This video of the grasshopper is the landing stage of their fully reusable rocket. Their test is using the Falcon 9 fuselage. I expect that SpaceX will be fully capable of taking on the responsibility of delivering crew and payload to the ISS.
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4fjPLDDCL4[/url]
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Honestly I think all of the stuff that is going on in the public space industry is a big waste of money, because the bulk of R&D and money is spent on technology that is still based on technology from the beginning years of modern Human space technology. Billion's of dollars spent on making primitive "firecracker" rockets/delivery systems, I think that kind of money should be spent on R&D for spatial distortion (Wormhole's and such)