WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The launch was the first attempt by SpaceX at sending the well-known Falcon 9 rocket back to space — and since, it's already been there back in April 2016, when it delivered necessary supplies to the crew of the International Space Station (ISS), it's been labeled as "recycled."
First stage entry burn complete. Second stage continuing nominally to geostationary transfer orbit. pic.twitter.com/RXAzvT0xT0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 30, 2017
"Falcon 9 first stage has landed on Of Course I Still Love You [drone ship] — world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket," SpaceX wrote on its official Twitter page on Thursday, minutes after it announced the liftoff of Falcon 9.
Falcon 9 first stage has landed on Of Course I Still Love You — world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 30, 2017
The Falcon 9 rocket with the SES-10 communications satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday afternoon (22:27 GMT).
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called the first successful reuse of a Falcon 9 first stage on Thursday a "revolution" in space flights, explaining that the booster is the most expensive part of a carrier rocket.
The first stage reflown on Thursday was first used in April 2016, during a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Then, the Flacon 9 rocket was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and its first stage successfully landed on the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship.
SpaceX started experimenting with drone ship landings in 2015. After the successful drone ship landing in April 2016, Musk said that the Flacon 9 booster could be used for 10-20 more flights and with the help of some modifications, it could fly up to 100 times.
