SpaceX’s Falcon 9 reusable rocket makes a flawless vertical landing

The landing paves the way for potentially reusing rockets for space launches, which SpaceX and other companies hope will dramatically reduce the cost of gaining access to space.

Third time was the charm for the private spaceflight company, which now carries the privilege of completing the first rocket landing during an orbital launch. Once it leaves Earth’s atmosphere, the first stage separates after its nine rockets burn for around 162 seconds with 1.5 million pounds of thrust.

This particular rocket is just a step on the path to reusability, though.

SpaceX, the vaunted rocket company owned by investor and entrepreneur Elon Musk, reemerged months after a crash with its best success yet.

Musk noted how the Falcon 9’s launch was not just a practice flight, but part of a mission laid out by his company, adding: “We achieved recovery of the rocket in a mission that actually deployed 11 satellites”.

A historic moment was repeated on Monday, when Elon Musk’s SpaceX landed the first stage of a rocket on its launch pad in Cape Canaveral.

Aside from the return on land, this launch was also different since it used an upgraded Falcon 9 that stands slightly taller than predecessors at 229.6 feet and has more thrust. Because of failures during previous attempts, the tension and excitement were thick at the launch site as the rocket approached the landing site. Secondly, on reentering the first stage through Earth’s atmosphere and conducting precision landings on an autonomous spaceport drone ship at sea, and then eventually it lands. Also, Blue Origin’ rocket was on a “suborbital” flight so didn’t go as high as the Falcon 9.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off over Cocoa Beach, Fla., at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Over the last two years SpaceX, Musk and its fans and followers have watched two near misses and a spectacular explosion thwart their attempts. Reusable rockets could solve that and make space travel a whole lot cheaper in the future.