This is the second time that Mr. Musk’s space firm has successfully landed a rocket post-launch.
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NASA said Saturday the Dragon space vehicle’s launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida marks SpaceX’s eight cargo delivery mission to the ISS under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with the space agency.
A privately-owned rocket has landed at sea for the first time, potentially heralding the beginning of a new era of cheap and reusable space travel.
Two new videos let you relive SpaceX’s incredible rocket landing at sea, giving two different perspectives of the historic event – including a stunning rocket’s-eye view. President Barack Obama shared a tweet congratulating Musk and NASA for their hard work and innovation. “Anything beyond Earth is likely to need to land on the ship”, Musk said, pointed to the potential of future space habitats extending beyond Earth’s orbit. Hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow bought rights to TransHab, then persuaded NASA to host BEAM at the space station. Among the nearly 7,000 pounds (3,200 kilograms) of items inside the Dragon spacecraft is the 3,100-pound (1,400-kilogram) Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), a $17.8-million project that will be attached to the ISS to test the use of an inflatable space habitat in microgravity.
The aerospace giant’s unmanned Falcon rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., carrying a full load of supplies to the International Space Station – including a futuristic pop-up room – as part of the company’s first shipment to the space station in a year.
Image: A NASA image shows the International Space Station as it flew over Madagascar, showing three of the five spacecraft docked to the station in this photo taken by the Expedition 47 Flight Engineer Tim Peake of ESA on April 6, 2016 and released on April 8, 2016.
SpaceX successfully completed a rocket landing on a drone ship off the coast of Florida, marking the first such successful landing for the company.
Meanwhile, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft filled with almost 7,000 pounds of vital supplies, science experiments and a prototype inflatable space habitat for the orbiting outpost.
The company plans to launch a Delta IV Heavy rocket in early June.
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“Just wanted to write a note of appreciation for all those who have supported Tesla, SpaceX & SolarCity over the years”, Musk wrote. The launch went without any problems at all making things even better when the Falcon 9 landed without a dent on a drone ship floating in the ocean.
