A SpaceX rocket carrying a crucial space station docking adapter for astronauts has successfully made it into orbit.
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SpaceX also managed to land the Falcon rocket a few minutes after the launch. Landing on ocean-going platforms significantly reduces the amount of fuel used, which in turn further decreases the cost of their missions in space.
The return of the rocket caused a sonic boom, rattling buildings for miles around the landing site and prompting a flood of 911 calls, according to local media reports.
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The rocket landed safely at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
SpaceX has released a collection of high-resolution photos of last night’s mission to resupply the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
When the docking port is attached to the station, it will act as a parking space for commercial spaceships, including those under development by SpaceX and Boeing. Unfortunately, none of the boosters were technically capable of a second launch.
Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station Monday, Aug. 29.
It was SpaceX’s second shot at delivering a new-style docking port for NASA. After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, more than 3,300 pounds of science, hardware, crew supplies and spacewalk tools will be returned to shore. He said all the cargo is precious, but really wants this docking port “up there safe and sound”.
Together the two missions could help SpaceX shape the future of American space travel.
SpaceX recently announced that they will be launching their first “reusable” this fall.
President Obama congratulated SpaceX when it successfully launched a rocket in April.
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“It’s a pretty good-sized landing pad compared to the drone ship, and it doesn’t have structure (to the) left and right that you need to fit the vehicle in”, Koenigsmann said. “Getting back to land requires significantly more propellant, but at the end of the day, those trajectories are also easier and more benign in terms of heat load and deceleration”. CEO Elon Musk said the first landed Falcon 9 to fly again will happen sometime in September or October.
