SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has tweeted images and video of the company’s Grasshopper rocket taking a brief test flight. Carrying a six-foot high mannequin dressed as a cowboy, the rocket propelled itself 131 feet into the air before hovering for a while and returning to the ground.
The rocket is currently in development and entered the testing phase last month. The end game for the Grasshopper project is to have a reusable rocket that can take off and land vertically. If it’s successful in its endeavors, SpaceX will be able to cut down on waste by reusing much of the sophisticated onboard equipment — something impossible with traditional rockets.