In just one year, SpaceX has made rocket landings routine. But we must not forget that this is a giant step toward reusable rockets and a new era of affordable space flight. Michael Wagner with USLaunchReport chronicles the historic return of many of these used rockets and posts them on the USLaunchReport's YouTube channel. Following is a transcript of the video.
How SpaceX salvages $40 million rockets.
Here's a sight you don't see every day. A 14-ton rocket dangling in mid-air. This is one of SpaceX's first stage Falcon 9 rockets. It launched out of Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 11.
This is what it looked like before launch. Space travel certainly takes a toll. The rocket is about 230 feet tall, a behemoth compared to the humans in charge of retrieving it.
Since its first successful rocket landing in Dec. 2015, SpaceX has performed 19 successful rocket landings. So far, SpaceX has relaunched two of its used rockets.
It's unclear when, or if, this rocket will fly again. For now, it will join its sisters on SpaceX's Florida base.