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Paypal Founder's Merlin Rocket Engine Fires Up

Posted by timothy on from the no-milquetoast-nasa-puttering dept.

Baldrson writes "Wired News reports that after 2 years of development, Space Exploration Technology Corp ('SpaceEx') successfully test-fired their new LOX/Kerosene Merlin rocket engine for the 160 seconds required for orbit. SpaceEx was founded by Elon Musk from the proceeds of the 2002 sale of his prior start-up, Paypal, to Ebay. According to Musk, 5 Merlins bundled with the first stage of SpaceEx's powerful Falcon V booster will launch 5 people to orbit by 2010, thereby winning America's Space Prize which was endowed by Robert Bigelow."

4 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. and hey, if it doesn't work... by zonker · · Score: 5, Funny

    he can just sell the thing on ebay...

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    Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

  2. SpaceEx by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    That just screams a FedEx lawsuit.

  3. Financed by PayPal? by DogDude · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does that mean that they used all stolen credit cards and "frozen" account assets to pay for this ridiculous thing? That gives me a warm fuzzy feeling...

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    I don't respond to AC's.
  4. Re:Just another dot com trillionaire by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    $1.5 B won't even by a B2 plane these days...

    Because owning a B2 bomber is your childhood fantasy?

    Frankly, mine involves bras and suspenders and don't cost remotely as much.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash