[QUOTE=Nick;388092]Will they also be checking whether such a thing is already there from some previous (and now extinct) species on earth?[/QUOTE]

Excellent question! :tu:

[QUOTE=firejuggler;386371][youtube]MZ0SgAU9LXI[/youtube]
view from the press site, might be nsfw as coarse language is used[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Uncwilly;386400]I wonder if the RSO had criteria that they followed to let the rocket fall if it was below a specific height. Once it goes pop and begins to fall, I would think that that is the time to hit the button.[/QUOTE]

Here is the launch, failure, and explosion from several close in cameras at different angles, some at slow speed (one gets hit.)
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsvUVDTgPoI&feature=player_detailpage#t=24[/url]
It very much looks like the rocket hit the ground and then blew.

Reusable Rocket Milestone on December 16th
 

[URL="http://www.space.com/27955-spacex-ro...-platform.html"]SpaceX Will Try to Land Rocket on Floating Ocean Platform Next Week[/URL]

Elon Musk points out that launch rockets cost about the same as jet airliners, and getting more uses out of each would reduce the cost of going to space. SpaceX has done three simulated landings on the ocean, but this will the first time there is something to actually land on, making recovery of the rocket possible. Official guess is 50% chance of success. It's being landed on a barge because it takes FAA approval to return it to land.

[QUOTE=wblipp;389694][URL="http://www.space.com/27955-spacex-ro...-platform.html"]SpaceX Will Try to Land Rocket on Floating Ocean Platform Next Week[/URL]

Elon Musk points out that launch rockets cost about the same as jet airliners, and getting more uses out of each would reduce the cost of going to space. SpaceX has done three simulated landings on the ocean, but this will the first time there is something to actually land on, making recovery of the rocket possible. Official guess is 50% chance of success. It's being landed on a barge because it takes FAA approval to return it to land.[/QUOTE]

link is truncated: [url]http://www.space.com/27955-spacex-rocket-ocean-landing-platform.html[/url] works.

SpaceX Rocket Recovery Attempt Tuesday 6:30 AM EDT
 

SPaceX will attempt to land a first stage rocket Tuesday 6:30 AM. New York Times article [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/05/science/space/next-frontier-for-spacex-and-elon-musk-landing-a-rocket-on-earth.html"]here[/URL].

[URL="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2015-01-20/google-said-to-be-close-to-investing-1-billion-in-musk-s-spacex"]Google Is Close to Investing $1 Billion in Musk’s SpaceX[/URL]
[QUOTE]“There are a couple of new investors that -- because of their disclosure requirements, we’ll -- will have to become publicly known, I think toward the end of this month,” Musk said in the Jan. 12 interview.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;388366]Here is the launch, failure, and explosion from several close in cameras at different angles, some at slow speed (one gets hit.)
[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsvUVDTgPoI&feature=player_detailpage#t=24[/URL]
It very much looks like the rocket hit the ground and then blew.[/QUOTE]

I was watching this again, and made some comment. It prompted Dan to say, "Was the the fireworks factory in Colombia? I had not heard of this event, but it did go BOOM really good. I know it is not a space launch except by the most tenuous relation: Chinese gunpowder ended up in much early rocketry, which eventually led to space flights.

[url]http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/video-colombian-fireworks-factory-explodes-article-1.2066232[/url]

Sorry, this won't do YouTube embedding, but here is the same thing on YT. The Daily News does have some explication on the event.
[YOUTUBE]LyofFp2GpfU[/YOUTUBE]

[QUOTE=kladner;393019]"Was the the fireworks factory in Colombia? I had not heard of this event, but it did go BOOM really good. I know it is not a space launch except by the most tenuous relation: Chinese gunpowder ended up in much early rocketry, which eventually led to space flights.[/QUOTE]Youtube "Enschede all angles"
Here is a one that connects to spaceflight:
[YOUTUBE]3V-1BL1Tr90[/YOUTUBE]

From today, the European Space Agency is listening to see whether the comet lander Philae starts transmitting again.

ESA Rosetta project blog entry: [URL]http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/03/10/waiting-for-a-signal-from-philae/[/URL]

Some use GPUs to do "real" work...
 

[URL="http://www.theplatform.net/2015/03/27/rockets-shake-and-rattle-so-spacex-rolls-homegrown-cfd/"]SpaceX develops custom CFD using GPUs[/URL]! Cool!!!

[QUOTE=chalsall;398883][URL="http://www.theplatform.net/2015/03/27/rockets-shake-and-rattle-so-spacex-rolls-homegrown-cfd/"]SpaceX develops custom CFD using GPUs[/URL]! Cool!!![/QUOTE]That is a really nice presentation!