SpaceX conducts return-to-flight launch, rocket lands on ground

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch complex in Florida, USA on 21 May 2012.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said the ability to reuse a rocket is something that will help revolutionize commercial space travel.

While the upgraded Falcon 9 ultimately delivered 11 Orbcomm satellites to low-Earth orbit during the mission, first-stage separation occurred at a decidedly suborbital 75-kilometer attitude. Earlier, Musk confirmed the launch date through his Twitter account on December 19, adding that his aerospace company would also attempt a landing of the rocket’s first stage back at solid surface.

It will be SpaceX’s fourth attempt to safely land a rocket. The first two landing attempts were on a floating barge on the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast.

In the video below (starting at around 32:30 in), though, you can see the SpaceX Falcon 9 descend and stick the landing, a moment followed by an eruption of cheers at the company’s headquarters.

The Falcon 9 rocket at ignition. And Musk’s rivals have been here already, as Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin landed its New Shepard rocket upright after launch in November.Shepard rocket upright after launch in November.

The craft, an American Falcon-9 SpaceX rocket, was carrying supplies of food and equipment to the astronauts on the space station. It’s been used, among other things, to send cargo capsules to the International Space Station.

SpaceX has done it. Elon Musk’s rocket startup just successfully launched and then landed a Falcon 9 rocket some 10 minutes later.

About 3 minutes after liftoff and about 60 miles altitude, the spent first stage separated from the second stage which continued to orbit with the Orbcomm satellites.

“The SpaceX booster was more powerful and flying faster in order to put satellites into orbit”, the Associated Press notes.

“Space X hopes it can recycle the first stage and use it again on future space flights”.