Editing VTOL (section)

====Rockets====
{{main|VTVL}}
[[SpaceX]] developed [[Falcon 9 prototypes|several prototypes of Falcon 9]] to validate various low-altitude, low-velocity engineering aspects of its [[SpaceX reusable launch system development program|reusable launch system development program]].<ref name=sfn20120709>
{{cite news |title=Reusable rocket prototype almost ready for first liftoff |url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1207/10grasshopper/ |access-date=2012-07-13 |newspaper=Spaceflight Now |date=2012-07-09 |quote=''SpaceX has constructed a half-acre concrete launch facility in McGregor, and the Grasshopper rocket is already standing on the pad, outfitted with four insect-like silver landing legs.''}}</ref> The first prototype, Grasshopper, made eight successful test<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20130310 |title=Grasshopper Completes Highest Leap to Date |date=10 March 2013 |publisher=SpaceX.com |access-date=11 March 2013 |archive-date=29 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429060358/http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20130310 |url-status=dead }}</ref> flights in 2012–2013. It made its eighth, and final, test flight on October 7, 2013, flying to an altitude of {{convert|744|m}} before making its eighth successful VTVL landing.<ref name=sx20131012fb>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/SpaceX/posts/10153372146765131 |title= Grasshopper flies to its highest height to date |publisher=SpaceX |work=Social media information release |date=12 October 2013 |access-date=14 October 2013 |quote=''WATCH: Grasshopper flies to its highest height to date – 744 m (2441 ft) into the Texas sky.''}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Grasshopper 744m Test {{!}} Single Camera (Hexacopter)| date=12 October 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZDkItO-0a4|language=en|access-date=2021-04-29}}</ref> This was the last scheduled test for the Grasshopper rig; next up will be low altitude tests of the Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) development vehicle in Texas followed by high altitude testing in New Mexico.

On November 23, 2015, [[Blue Origin]]'s New Shepard booster rocket made the first successful vertical landing following an uncrewed suborbital test flight that reached space.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/news/blue-origin-makes-historic-rocket-landing |title=Blue Origin make historic rocket landing |work=Blue Origin |date= November 24, 2015|accessdate= November 24, 2015}}</ref> On December 21, 2015, [[SpaceX]] [[Falcon 9]] first stage made a successful landing after boosting 11 commercial satellites to [[low Earth orbit]] on [[Falcon 9 Flight 20]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=SpaceX Twitter post|url=https://twitter.com/spacex/status/679114269485436928|access-date=2021-04-29|website=Twitter|language=en}}</ref> These demonstrations opened the way for substantial reductions in space flight costs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-08-20|title=SpaceX reusable rocket will cut space launch prices 100 fold|last=Puiu|first=Tibi|url=https://www.zmescience.com/space/spacex-reusable-rocket-100-times-cheaper-0432423/|access-date=2021-04-29|website=ZME Science|language=en-US}}</ref>