It’s a historic moment for SpaceX and space exploration in general, as the company managed to land its Falcon 9 rocket back on a barge in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Here’s a closeup of the landing:
In 2015, just before Christmas, SpaceX made history when they successfully managed to launch a rocket, send it to outer space, and then land it back safely. Then, for the first time, the prospect of using reusable rockets became a reality. However, in order to be really safe, the land should take place in the sea, where it doesn’t jeopardize human lives and property. After a few failed attempts, SpaceX finally landed such a rocket on a floating barge.
Building reusable rockets is vital for future space exploration, as it would save a lot of time, money and invested technology. This would make the whole process cheaper and more efficient, and could facilitate trips to the International Space Station or a potential moon base. Also, as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has pointed out in the past, the ships are critical for high-velocity missions, like commercial satellite missions.