SpaceX Tests New Grasshopper Rocket in Mcgregor - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

A new rocket called the "Grasshopper" has been tested at the SpaceX facility right here in Mcgregor.

Earlier this month, SpaceX's 10 story vertical takeoff and landing vehicle rose nearly two stories in an 8second duration test hop.

SpaceX says the grasshopper program is a critical step toward developing fully and rapidly reusable rockets. With grasshopper, SpaceX engineers are testing the technology that would allow a launched rocket to land intact.

Currently they burn up upon re-entry to the earth's atmosphere.