SpaceX Sends A Previously Used Falcon 9 Rocket Into Space On Thursday
[Cape Canaveral, Florida] This evening, SpaceX launched one of its Falcon 9 rockets into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Its mission was to send a communications satellite into orbit.
After completing its mission, the rocket then landed in the Atlantic Ocean on one of SpaceX's drone ships. This particular Falcon 9 has been used twice now, the first launch being in April of 2016.
This event is unprecedented because it marks the first time an orbital rocket has been successfully launched into space for a second time.
CEO Elon Musk spoke about the accomplishment on the company's live stream. He said, "It means you can fly and refly an orbital class booster, which is the most expensive part of the rocket. This is going to be, ultimately, a huge revolution in spaceflight."
Reusable rockets has been a goal of SpaceX and this evening's mission represented a critical milestone. Until now, most orbital rockets have been expendable and disposed of after successfully launching only once. Reusing rockets will essentially save tens of millions of dollars in the future.
“It’s been 15 years to get to this point, it’s taken us a long time. A lot of difficult steps along the way, but I’m just incredibly proud of the SpaceX for being able to achieve this incredible milestone in the history of space,” Musk commented.
The communications satellite, called SES-10, is owned by the company SES, which is based out of Luxembourg. It will eventually sit in high orbit over 22,000 miles above the Earth and deliver communications services to Latin America.
