The mission a success the first time round and it was a success this time as well and not only launching the satellite into orbit but also landing the same rocket booster again - therefore marking 2 successful lift-offs, 2 successful missions and 2 successful landings. Many have accomplished each of these feats with different launch vehicles but never before with the same booster rocket section.
Credits: SpaceXNot only did they also land the rocket booster they also recovered the $6 000 000 payload fairing from the Atlantic Ocean as well, for further smugness points too.
This has earmarked a new day in launch technology, last week we heard how Bloostar broke the record books with its first non-rocket launch and now we have SpaceX responding showing us the future of reusable rocket technology.
This success means big things for the Space Industry, the main one being that SpaceX are telling customers and the media that this reuse of the second booster module means that missions will cost only $18 000 000 to launch as an example, a satellite into orbit. This therefore staggeringly reduces the costs of space travel in this regard and also shows the industries commitment towards reusable technology being the future of space travel.
We have talked previously how 1 seat on a Russian Soyuz rocket is $80 000 000 per seat, imagine if we could do it on a SpaceX launch platform for $18 000 000 for the entire mission? This would represent a game changing shift towards US tech, and also presents a massive saving for NASA :
3 x $80 000 000 = $240 000 000 Russian Soyuz versus $18 000 000 for SpaceX, a net saving of $228 000 000, imagine what they could do with the extra money !
The question now for SpaceX is now they have landed the booster again, will they send it up again with another payload? Do they simply refurbish it and send it up again? Or do they scrap it? Who knows the limits of the amount of times they can reuse these rocket boosters!
If I know SpaceX no doubt they'll test that limit again, or at least have already explored the possibility.
The question for the rest of the industry is..... Up your game, your move - because as it stands SpaceX have proved a lot of big things today.
SOURCE: Space.com
WRITTEN BY Avenger - EDITED BY Eaglesg
