SpaceX news updates (external video of F9R landing!)

So a rocket basically exploded, hasn't happened to my knowledge since Falcon 1 series. It was only a test vehicle (grasshopper with 3 merlin engines) and it was according to system definitions - auto-terminated once parameters weren't right.

Three engine F9R Dev1 vehicle auto-terminated during test flight. No injuries or near injuries. Rockets are tricky …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 23, 2014

.@SpaceX statement on 8/22 F9R test in McGregor, Texas: pic.twitter.com/p7JL5VoQlP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 23, 2014

Here's the video of it exploding:

Failure is good, helps them make their rockets better and more reliable! =) Having played KSP I'm surprised this hasn't happened in a while (in a test vehicle for SpaceX) haha.

The "Failsafe" reminds me of that in the requirements in the autopilot for the UAV Outback Challenge. Recently joined the Monash team, one of the many advantages of a university with a larger cohort - enough people to make teams for this kind of stuff! =)

Video of Falcon 9 first stage landing on water. Extra cool!


Previously I reported on an on-board video of the landing, check it out at this link!

The return of the ISEE 3

http://spacecraftforall.com/home


Great website with cool interactive documentary-like experience! Check it out! Also, it'll be live-streaming the fly-by of the moon in a few hours (Sunday, August 10th 10:30am PT - 12:00pm PT) , but I'll be asleep. Also includes live data anytime! =)

This whole project was crowdfunded and they (the hackers/makers) work in a hackerspace/mission-control in an old Maccas building! Lol! And with NASA's blessing =) Them talking about *SCIENCE* so much reminds me of stuff like Portal, xkcd, KSP (get them science points!) haha.

Also, great post about SoftwareDefinedRadio; been meaning to get my HAM radio callsign sometime soon ...

Also, the initial swing-bys to get to the 1st comet flown through by man is so cool and complicated, it reminded me of an epic version of this:

I mean, orbiting in one plane is hard enough to learn (in a fun way) in KSP. Add in polar plane and crazy manoeuvres and orbits like Quasi-Zenith and I have to spend more time wrapping my head around more simulations, models and reading.
P.S. My short-term goal is to build and launch a (nano)sat in one of them Quasi-Zenith orbits servicing Australia =P Hopefully I'll get to crowdfunding when I've actually done work on it xP.