CHINA TOPIX

12/22/2024 03:02:06 pm

Make CT Your Homepage

SpaceX Plans to Launch Used Rocket This Fall

Used Falcon 9 rockets in SpaceX hangar in NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

(Photo : Elon Musk/Twitter) Used Falcon 9 rockets in SpaceX hangar in NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

SpaceX is now planning to relaunch one of its Falcon 9 rockets this fall, which is a test flight that can further demonstrate the groundbreaking technology of reusable rockets.

After four successful rocket landings, the private space company is now confident for this launch, after completing three vertical landings on the ocean, where the most recent landed only last May 27. This latest Falcon 9 booster rocket successfully landed on a drone ship landing pad off the Florida coast, where it is now moved to the SpaceX hangar at  NASA's Kennedy Space Center last week.

Like Us on Facebook

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on a tweet last June 7, fourth rocket just arrived in the hangar, where the latest booster is safely stored away. He adds, aiming for first reflight in September or October.

For SpaceX's reusable rocket program, these successful launches and landings of the Falcon 9 rocket has been a milestone in the history of space launches and exploration, thanks to the ingenious technology of the reusable booster rocket. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is designed with landing legs and even control vanes and state of the art technology which controls the rocket to fly autonomously back to Earth. The first booster rocket that landed back on Earth occurred last December 2015 on a ground based pad and the next three successful landings were completed on a drone ship in the ocean.

Why does SpaceX wants to pursue a reusable rocket launch system? In order to slash expensive space launches. For a SpaceX mission, building a Falcon 9 rocket can reach up to US $16 million, versus the propellant cost or fuel cost for each reusable rocket at only $200,000, according to Musk, potentially reducing space launch costs and upkeep.

Musk's long term goal and vision for SpaceX is to establish the first human colony on Mars and proving that reusable rocket technology is feasible can lower the cost of spaceflights. Apart from this, SpaceX is now developing a new and bigger rocket known as the Falcon Heavy which will also include fly-back boosters.

Real Time Analytics