SpaceX launches first recycled rocket booster

Global Business

SpaceX launched its first recycled rocket Thursday, the biggest leap yet in its bid to drive down costs and speed up flights. The Falcon 9 blasted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, hoisting a broadcasting satellite into the early evening clear sky on the historic rocket reflight. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

Space tourism may have just become cheaper and more accessible.
SpaceX successfully launched and landed its first recycled rocket.

The historic event could make the company’s CEO, Elon Musk’s vision of human residences beyond earth, in reach.

CGTN’s Sean Callebs reports.

It is one of the most grand examples of “recycling” in the world.

It’s not exactly one small step for man, but Space-X founder Elon Musk can now boast a space flight first–the Falcon 9 rocket is carrying a satellite for a Luxembourg company in itself. While it is not exactly routine, it is the first time a rocket that had flown in space before is being reused.

“I think we made a little bit of history today, actually and just opened the door into a whole new era of spaceflight and to be part of that I feel very, very privileged. “ Said Martin Hilliwell, CTO at SES Satelites.

Space-X had some spectaculars failures, but a 50-meter section of this booster rocket went into space last year, and then successfully landed on a platform at sea so it could fly again. That is an amazing technical feat, but what has everyone’s attention is the fact hundreds of millions of dollars can be saved by reusing rockets.

Now, Musk and his team want to raise the bar by returning a rocket safely to earth and relaunching it within 24 hours.

“We might get there towards the end of this year, but I think if not this year, I’m confident we’ll get there next year,” the SpaceX Founder said.

It’s an import step for NASA as well, as it turns to private contractors to take payloads into space and to the international space station.

NASA is focusing its efforts on a return to man space flight since the shuttle program was cancelled in 2011.

Doing more with less is a common saying in today’s world, so saving money is important for the U.S. space program. Right now, NASA has to depend on the Russian Soyuz to fly astronauts to space, and Russia charges $82 million for each seat.

Yang Yuguang talks about the latest developments in space industry.
For more on the latest developments and the outlook for the space industry CGTN’s Jessica Stone spoke to Professor Yang Yuguang from China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.


Yang Yuguang talks about the latest developments in space industry