Elon Musk's new re-usable, hovering rocket ship in first test liftoff:
"On Friday, September 21, SpaceX's Grasshopper vertical takeoff and landing test
vehicle (VTVL) took its first test flight hop from the company's rocket testing facility
in McGregor, Texas.
The short hop of approximately 6 feet is the first major milestone for
Grasshopper, and a critical step toward a reusable first stage for SpaceX's proven
Falcon 9 rocket ...
Testing of Grasshopper continues, with the next big milestone - a hover at
roughly 100 feet - expected in the next several months."
See:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09..._initial_test/