Go SpaceX!!! The maiden launch of their new rocket was a success this morning, lifting off from Vandenberg AFB in southern California. Update from Elon: all satellites deployed in target orbits, and once separated from the upper stage, the booster relit twice to head back toward the pad, and then to land, but flamed out from the aerodynamic spin of the fuel, depriving the fuel pumps. It was the first test of a supersonic retro burn and in-flight version of what the Grasshopper test vehicle has been working on in Texas. While just a test, much was learned and it gives Elon confidence that this booster design can be reusable, dramatically lowering the cost of launch (as it contains 9 of the 10 engines).
I posted a preliminary flight video with the dropped-signal sections removed (no audio): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqte52V-6Ss&hd=1
And SpaceX has now added the full video, with audio but with stretches of lost signal throughout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0mLlO9enfY
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