Today, SpaceX launched one of its Falcon 9 rockets to put a customer satellite (dubbed SES-10) in orbit.
The trick? It’s a rocket that’s been to space already.
Today’s Falcon 9 vehicle was the first one the company successfully recovered at sea. That mission took place back in April 2016. Since then, SpaceX has been inspecting every nook and cranny and testing it to prepare it for today’s mission, when it became the first orbital-class rocket to be used for more than one flight.
They even landed it on the droneship again.
It’s important to note that the whole rocket isn’t reused, just the 14-story lower stage. It houses the nine engines required to lift the vehicle and its payload from the pad and provides the brunt of the horsepower of the Falcon 9.
SpaceX’s vision of taking humanity to low-Earth orbit and beyond with lower and lower costs overtime. Reusing a rocket multiple times is a huge step toward that goal. It’s
a big deal if getting to Mars is ever going to be remotely affordable.
Update: SpaceX also landed the Falcon 9’s fairing for the first time, according to the press event after the launch. The fairing is basically the nose cone of the ship and protects the payload during launch and its trip through the thick atmosphere.