The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from its launch site at a seaside site in Florida on Friday, and then turned around a minute later and landed on a platform floating in the ocean.
This is an unprecedented feat, worth several years of work of the space company Elon Mask. And do not forget about the successful completion of the ground landing of the returned Falcon rocket in December. Four previous attempts to land the first stage of the rocket on a platform in the ocean were unsuccessful.
“Falcon 9 landed on board,” the sailor radioed into the SpaceX flight management from the recovery ship.
A NASA television video of the landing showed how the first stage of the Falcon rocket, descending vertically through a clear sky, slowed down with four landing legs extended and carefully lowered itself down onto the platform. A minute later, the Dragon cargo ship, from which the rocket, separated from the upper Falcon stage, went into space, began a 2.5-day trip to the International Space Station.
For SpaceX, the ability to land their rockets on the ocean is crucial. Since most of the fuel goes to the Falcon 9 fleet loads performed. Because of this, there are not enough reserves to return the missiles back to the launch pad.
