SpaceX Lands Reusable Rockets Like It's No Big Deal
Chet Donnelly Published 09/04/2022
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Transporter-2 mission, carrying dozens of satellites to polar orbit. The first stage of the rocket landed at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida minutes later.
Up until Elon Musk entered the space game, NASA and other space agencies around the world had to recover their rocket boosters by letting them re-enter the atmosphere, hope they didn't blow up or denigrate, and pray that they landed in a body of water and could be recovered for reuse. The external fuel tank is an exception to this, however, as it is designed to burn up on re-entry.
Many people are familiar with the Tesla and other manufacturers' "self driving" modes and options on their vehicles, but seeing a freakin rocket land itself after lifting off is truly a modern marvel of science and engineering.
Up until Elon Musk entered the space game, NASA and other space agencies around the world had to recover their rocket boosters by letting them re-enter the atmosphere, hope they didn't blow up or denigrate, and pray that they landed in a body of water and could be recovered for reuse. The external fuel tank is an exception to this, however, as it is designed to burn up on re-entry.
Many people are familiar with the Tesla and other manufacturers' "self driving" modes and options on their vehicles, but seeing a freakin rocket land itself after lifting off is truly a modern marvel of science and engineering.
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