About an hour ago, Space X’s CEO, Elon Musk announced, what could be, one of the most significant achievements in space transportation. Musk announced that the first live test of a Falcon 9 rocket boost stage landing vertically was a success.
In a press conference, Musk said that all telemetry data indicates that the rocket soft-landed in the water with the legs deployed — as if it were landing on land. The end goal is to have a reusable rocket, one that can launch, land, and launch again. Musk says SpaceX foresees being able to land and relaunch a rocket on the same day.
Though the private space company was unable to retrieve the stage, but a success in landing shows that such a reusable rocket technique is possible.
This would definitely prove to be a major cost-cutting method in space transportation . SpaceX is the company which is the part of a project named, “Mars-One”. The project aims at colonising Mars and establishing a permanent human settlement.
SpaceX aims to use reusable rockets, so as to reduce the costs of space travel to an extent that it becomes affordable for its upcoming project. Musk said that the boost stage constitutes about 70% of the cost, and having a reusable boost stage would cut the costs by 70%
SpaceX currently charges $60 million for a launch on its Falcon 9 rocket.
