Elon Musk's space taxi company, SpaceX, said it plans to re-use its first used Falcon 9 first stage in the fall, probably as early as September.

The company, however, didn't specify which mission this reused first stage will support. It currently has five recovered first stage rockets awaiting re-use stored in a hangar at Launch Complex 39A, a spaceport SpaceX leases from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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Musk, however, previously said the first recovered Falcon 9 will fly again in September or October. For this first re-launch, SpaceX plans to use the rocket it landed in April, which is also the first vehicle to land successfully on a robot drone ship floating on the Atlantic Ocean.

The latest recovered first stage sent the company's new Dragon spacecraft for the ninth time to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 17.

In this mission, Dragon will deliver 5,000 pounds of supplies, including an International Docking Adapter or IDA. This 63 inch-wide ring will be installed onto a port outside the ISS and permit future commercial spacecraft to automatically dock with the ISS. It's also a very important piece of hardware needed for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

The first IDA was destroyed when the Falcon 9 that was carrying it exploded during launch last year, however.

The successful July 17 mission was SpaceX's ninth cargo resupply mission for NASA, and the eighth one to make it to orbit. This is the fifth time SpaceX has recovered its rocket post-launch.

This mission was also the second time SpaceX has landed its rocket on solid ground. Four of the company's previous landings saw the first stage touchdown on a robot drone ship.

TagsSpaceX, Falcon 9, Elon Musk, Dragon, International Space Station