New Reusable Rocket technology

Since the first rocket took flight into space in 1942, thousands of rockets have been flown into and left in space, but none have been reusable until now. SpaceX has created a rocket that can go into space, send a payload into space, then land without a scratch onto a 300 by 100 feet landing platform at sea. After 3 failed attempts, SpaceX finally landed the rocket, Falcon 9, onto a barge. Why is SpaceX so intent to land a rocket at sea? Landing at sea is a harder target to hit then on land since the landing pad has to be smaller and is floating. Even though landing at sea can be difficult, ocean landings can actually be easier than landing on ground. SpaceX's drone ship can position itself in an ideal place to "catch" the vehicle on its more natural path back to Earth. That decreases the distance the rocket needs to travel, as well as the amount of fuel needed to maneuver the Falcon 9 for landing. Landings on solid ground don’t have that freedom and as a result would need a more fuel that the rocket just can’t carry.

Landing the rocket is a huge success as it allows for the rocket to be reused saving a ton of money. This is a major success for SpaceX’s reusable rocket program, which plans to cut the cost of the rocket from $60 million a launch to $40 million. Reusability has long been a dream in the rocket industry—no one thinks throwing away the rocket after one use is an efficient idea. This dream has finally been reached and may be in use soon thanks to SpaceX and its programs.

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