According to a company release issued some 18 hours after the test flight, the rocket made a flawless return through stiff winds and touched down gently at the company’s launch facility in West Texas. The single rocket engine reignited at an altitude of about 5,000 feet during the controlled return, according to the company, and it landed upright, 4 feet from where it started, traveling at a speed of 4.4 miles an hour.
The ability to reuse such a large rocket has been a long-standing goal of the global aerospace industry, and until now the efforts of Elon Musk’s closely held Space Exploration Technology Corp. have garnered the most attention. The aim is to reduce costs and speed up the tempo of launches.
SpaceX, as Mr. Musk’s company is called, has repeatedly tried but failed to land its Falcon 9 booster on a floating platform after operational launches. Those attempts came close, but weather issues and mechanical problems disrupted the returns and ended with the spent rocket failing to land vertically.
SpaceX, which has worked over the years to improve its guidance, propulsion and other systems, is expected to try again in coming months.
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Originally Posted by Shalcker
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