The space exploration technologies company, SpaceX, has just landed their rocket, Falcon 9, for the third time now! Here is why this is a big deal for all of us.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation or SpaceX founded by Elon Musk has just completed another landing for their rocket, Falcon 9. Falcon 9 is a rocket that was designed by SpaceX that is supposed to pave the way for SpaceX to create more vehicles like it’s kind to send to space at a frequent rate to transport supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).
What makes Falcon 9 so different from other spacecraft vehicles is it can manage to return from space intact after a complete and successful landing. Spacecrafts today can only make the trip to outer-space and when they comeback from orbit they usually crash land in the ocean and the U.S. Navy sets out to retrieve the spacecraft and it’s passengers.
Now SpaceX is changing how we travel to space and can potentially help cut costs of having to build another spacecraft after every time they launch one. Since Falcon 9 can land itself after a trip to space means this can be repeated, similar to how planes take us from one place to another. SpaceX is looking to commercialize the space transportation industry.
Falcon 9’s previous launch last December was to send out a Japanese satellite and it did so successfully despite the doubts SpaceX was receiving. The rocket managed to deliver the satellite successfully and managed to land itself successfully on top of that!
Did I also mention they are landing this rocket on a drone sitting out in the middle of the ocean? Thats a pretty amazing feat. SpaceX has been testing landings out at sea because they are usually the only safe places for a rocket to land without any possible casualties.
Falcon 9’s space travel technology is one that is going to open doors for a lot of other innovations to help commercialize space travel.
Source: The Verge
