Elon Musk and his company SpaceX have done a historical feat! Their Falcon 9 rocket successfully flew into space, launched 11 satellites and then returned to Earth. What's more fascinating is that it was able to return intact and even in an upright, vertical position in just a few moments, a report from Hollywood Life said.
This is a historical day in the field of space travel since no other rocket has been able to do what the Falcon 9 has done and return ready for reuse! Elon Musk's company has been striving recently to reduce the cost of space travel and this successful feat will surely boost their confidence and future projects when it comes to rocket design and development.
The Falcon 9 is a 23-story rocket with a total of 11 satellites as passengers. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8:29 p.m. It was able to set the 11 satellites in space and return to Earth minutes later. The rocket landed about six miles from the launch pad in an intact and upright position.
Recalling the event, the first-stage rocket separated from the upper-stage booster. Afterwards, it went into orbit to release the satellites. The main stage returned to Earth and landed on a makeshift launchpad.
Elon talked to media after the amazing event and said "It's a revolutionary moment."
"No one has ever brought a booster, an orbital-class booster, back intact." He also said that he "could not have asked for a better mission or a better day."
This is a huge accomplishment for Elon's company. To recall, it was the same rocket that exploded in June as it was carrying supplies to the International Space Station. During that time, the rocket successfully launched but it exploded once it reached supersonic speeds.
Jeff Bezos, Musk's competitor also launched a rocket called the New Shephard and successfully placed it in sub-orbital space. This was lower than what the Falcon 9 reached. The New Shephard was also able to successfully return in one piece.