The cost of transporting cargo into space is bound to drastically reduce this is after SpaceX successfully launched and landed a recycled rocket on Thursday.
The Falcon 9 Rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and carried SES-10 communications satellite into space. The rocket booster separated and descended towards earth before landing on a drone ship parked at sea
Elon Musk congratulated the team and also emphasized that it was an amazing day for space as a whole. The move had previously been deemed impossible , but Musk’s company managed to pull it off.
The launch marked a huge milestone in rocket reusability since it’s a development that will facilitate space launches at a reduced price.
Elon Musk pointed out that the successful launch and landing of the Falcon 9 was 15 years in the making, Musk also compared using a rocket once to disposing away a plane after one flight.
The current cost of a launch is listed at $62 million by SpaceX, its not yet clear how much SES paid for Thursday’s pioneering launch. The price is usually based on the client’s needs.
Gwynne Shotwell who is the company's chief operating office, has previously discussed how flight proven rockets could potentially give customers a 30 percent discount in the future.
The first flight proven booster made a second trip to space after almost one year after its initial launch in a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The 14-story main body of the rocket separates from the part of the rocket and descends back to earth, making it recyclable. The rocket lands on a drone ship parked off the coast of Florida.
SpaceX is mastering the craft of returning rockets back to earth. The company has made 13 attempts in recent years, 8 out of 13 the have been successful.
The first rocket, which landed on December 2015 will not be re-launched back into space. However, it has a special status and it is on display at SpaceX Headquarters in California.
Majority of SpaceX landings are conducted at sea, Musk has insisted that it’s the ideal location for missions with high-velocity. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon billionaire is also interested in recycling rockets. Bezos company has launched and landed its New Shepard rocket at least five times. The company’s end goal is to venture into space tourism.
Musk, of course, isn't the only one interested in recycling rockets. Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has also been keeping a lower profile, launching and landing his New Shepard rocket at least five times as the company prepares for a future goal of taking tourists to space.
