Blog Musk Says Reused Rockets ‘Feel Kinda Normal’

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.

https://twitter.com/x/status/871227498809368580

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.

 

[ecarfan]

I loved that Elon tweet. Reusing rockets should be the norm, and someday soon it will be. It's the only way we can afford to get to Mars and stay there.

 

[Haxster]

So, SpaceX is now selling CPO spacecraft?

 

[ecarfan]

Heh. Yes, basically that seems about right. Note that the Dragon capsule that was just launched and is now docked at the ISS is the same "pressure vessel" that was used once before for a mission to the ISS. SpaceX recovered the dragon, stripped it down to the fundamental structure, the pressure vessel, and rebuilt it. A lot more work than re-flying an F9 1st stage, but still re-use!

 

[Grendal]

At this point SpaceX is recovering every booster they try to recover. They are still losing a few but only because they are doing it intentionally and clearing their original Falcon Heavy launch list.

 

[RDoc]

Launching satellites with SpaceX is kind of like Uber but with rockets.

 

[ecarfan]

At this point SpaceX is recovering every booster they try to recover

So how many successful stage recoveries in a row are we at now? 5?

 

[Grendal]

So how many successful stage recoveries in a row are we at now? 5?

They're really at 7. The last time a booster recovery was attempted and failed was EutelSat-ABS on June 15th, 2016. Basically a week less than a year ago. It was a pretty heavy GTO attempt and SpaceX was playing with the landing algorithm to get a "hot" landing to be less hot. It was the last three engine hoverslam landing attempt. Since that time SpaceX seems to have perfected the single engine landing burn which protects against a lot of the heat damage. I expect the next landing issue to arise will be the first block 5 launch or the first Falcon Heavy triple landing attempt (whichever comes first). The rocket design will have changed and so that has to increase the chance of an issue arising by some amount.

Elon Musk is on a roll. SpaceX is killing it. The Model 3 will arrive on time, which is a first. We just need the 3 to be as great as it can be and the Falcon Heavy launch to be nominal. If those two things happen then Elon is on fire!

 

[adiggs]

.. If those two things happen then Elon is on fire!

In a strictly good and not a trip-to-the-hospital way!

 

[Electroman]

If those two things happen then Elon is on fire!

One of that has already happened.. waiting the next big one in your list - successful FH launch