In recent months, Space X managed to land safely more rockets on a marine platform. But last Saturday, the space company managed to launch a reusable rocket, Falcon 9, which landed on the ground, on the platform of Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to sciencealert.com. This is the first success the company had after the incident from September 2016, when another Falcon 9 rocket exploded.
A Falcon 9 rocket exploded on September 1st, 2016. The explosion happened on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida. A satellite that had to be transported into orbit was also destroyed in the explosion.
The event was a kick for the company's ambitious Space project.
8th successful landing
This is the third time Space X managed to land a rocket on earth. This is the 8h overall successful landing of a Falcon 9 rocket (the other five landings were on marine platforms). Reusable rockets are part of Elon Musk's plan to reduce the cost of launching people and objects in space.
Historic flight after Apollo mission from 1960
On February 18th, 2017, Space X launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Complex 39A. This was an historic flight on the same platform that was used to launch Apollo 1960, according to Science Alert.
The first launch after the explosion from last year
This is the first launch on the platform in Florida after the devastating explosion from September 1st 2016.
The rocket was launched, together with the supply ship Dragon with the destination set for the International Space Station. The spaceship was filled with 2,500 kilograms of cargo and science experiments, including a lethal insect that might help people learn about future diseases on Earth.
10 minutes after the launch the first part of the rocket, the one that delivers energy for propulsion, flew back to Earth and landed safely on the platform Landing Zone 1 from Cape Canaveral Air Force, Florida.
SpaceX saved $62 million with this launch
In a normal launch, the first part of the rocket is scheduled to crash into the ocean. But, this time, its recovery was a great success for the company and it helped them save $62 million.
