Something really incredible just happened.
Before now, a rocket has never been reused after its launch. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is making history as it just succeeded in re-launching one of its Falcon 9 rockets for the first time ever.
This rocket was first used last year, when it was the first Falcon 9 rocket to successfully land on one of SpaceX’s autonomous drone ships at sea. SpaceX has launched several rockets that landed back on earth after completing the launch.
The achievement of this relaunch is a key ingredient in SpaceX’s long-term business plan for making rocket launches more affordable and accessible to corporate and government customers, fundamentally changing the economics of spaceflight in ways that pave the way for more ambitious projects, including an eventual trip to Mars.
This is a game-changer for the space-travel industry. It goes to show that it is possible to think of space-travel like any other travel where the vehicle is reused again and again.
The management of SpaceX is using this technology to send people to Mars, bring the rocket back, and launch again to send more people to Mars.
More photos from today’s Falcon 9 launch and first stage landing → https://t.co/095WHX44BX pic.twitter.com/c3UYhMrDec
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 31, 2017
SpaceX’s achievements include the first privately funded, liquid-propellant rocket (Falcon 1) to reach orbit, in 2008; the first privately funded company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft (Dragon), in 2010; and the first private company to send a spacecraft (Dragon) to the ISS, in 2012. The launch of SES-8, in 2013, was the first SpaceX delivery into geosynchronous orbit, while the launch of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), in 2015, was the company’s first delivery beyond Earth orbit.
Invariably, this breakthrough proves SpaceX to be an incredible leader in the space travel industry.
