Elon Musk formally announced his company's plans to create a reusable rocket that, if successful, could drastically change the way we do business in space and will expand our exploration ventures to the moon, asteroids, mars, and beyond.
the Grasshopper is SpaceX's Vertical Take Off and Landing Test Vehicle (VTVL). On Friday, September 21, 2012 the Grasshopper made this short hop (about 6 feet) from the company's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas. The goal is to provide reusability for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage. Grasshopper consists of a Falcon 9 first stage, a Merlin-1D engine, four steel landing legs, and a steel support structure.
