Last month Grasshopper doubled its highest flight to date to 80.1m, hovering for approximately 34 seconds then landing using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control.
Grasshopper consists of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage tank, Merlin 1D engine, four steel and aluminium landing legs with hydraulic dampers, and a steel support structure.
According to SpaceX, the thrust to weight ratio of the vehicle at touchdown was greater than one, proving a key landing algorithm for Falcon 9.
Shaping the future of composites in the UK automotive sector
I would have thought that thermoplastic based composites would enhance formability - whether they be lamellar or fibre composites and, too, be more...