After SpaceX completed a mission over the weekend to launch cargo and supplies to the International Space Station utilizing previously used equipment – a historic first – Elon Musk took to Twitter to say it’s an accomplishment that already feels normal.
It's starting to feel kinda normal to reuse rockets. Good. That's how it is for cars & airplanes and how it should be for rockets.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2017
This is the fifth time SpaceX has launched a rocket into space and landed it on land or a drone ship at sea. The company continues to push toward equipment that can complete multiple missions, as one rocket has launched and landed twice.
Additionally, the Dragon cargo capsule used in this mission previously delivered cargo to space on a September 2014 resupply mission for NASA. Saturday’s successful launch of the reused capsule marked the first such instance from a private space company.
The company’s next mission is scheduled for June 15. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the BulgariaSat 1 communications satellite. BulgariaSat 1 will provide direct-to-home television broadcast and data communications services over southeast Europe for Bulsatcom.