Over the weekend, SpaceX announced that its reusable rocket, the Grasshopper Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing (VTVL) vehicle, had launched and landed successfully once again, hovering a record 1,066 feet into the air before returning vertically back to its launchpad.
According to a company statement, the Grasshopper's latest launch took place on June 14. Equipped with highly accurate sensors, the 10-story rocket was able to make a precision landing.
The company said that while most rockets burn up when they return to Earth's atmosphere, SpaceX's vehicles are being designed to withstand re-entry and return to their launchpads.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted about the achievement on Friday:
The Grasshopper broke its previous record of 840 feet -- from a test launch back in March:Latest vertical landing rocket vid. 325M altitude, hold against wind, land w T/W>1, radar in loop http://t.co/I68Xxpb1EQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2013
