Bruce Weaver/Getty ImagesWe’re one step closer to private space travel after SpaceX successfully landed a rocket on a drone ship on Friday. This is the second successful landing, the first at sea, and a major proof of the SpaceX concept.
Since the company can now land vehicles both at sea and on land, they will be able to recover a higher percentage of their launched rockets. That represents a major cost savings and good news for people who hope to take a flight to space that ends with a successful landing (basically everyone).
While it would seem harder to land a rocket on a floating drone ship than the land, it could be more cost effective for several reasons. Since the rocket takes a parabolic arc off the launch pad, it has to perform a lot of adjustments to get back to a fixed landing surface. The Falcon 9 would have to slow, turn around, and then retrace its path back to the ground. A drone ship could potentially move itself into position to catch the rocket, which reduces fuel costs and is therefore more desirable.
The company plans to land approximately two-thirds of its flights at sea. On a previous attempt, the rocket “landed hard.” SpaceX Vice President of Mission Assurance Hans Koenigsmann said that the next two or three landings would be at sea in a recent press conference.
Falcon 9 first stage on our droneship in the Atlantic after propelling the Dragon spacecraft to the @Space_Stationpic.twitter.com/Cnnej7zEnt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 8, 2016
The Falcon 9 rocket requires $60 million to make but a comparative pittance of $200,000 to fuel. Should the rockets prove consistently and safely landable, that would represent a 30% savings. And while that wouldn’t make it exactly cheap to travel into space, it might make things a bit more democratic.
Watch footage of the landing below.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
11 (Cheap!) iPhone Cases We Can't Get Enough Of
How To Get More Out Of Your Wardrobe Without Spending $$
How One Woman Spends 50% Of The Year Traveling The World