Reusability
726 articles
Launch timeline for Falcon 9/Jason 3 mission
Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent to orbit with the Jason 3 satellite, a joint project between European and U.S. weather agencies to monitor wave height and sea level in the world's oceans.

Recovered Falcon 9 booster fires again at Cape Canaveral
The Falcon 9 booster that dramatically flew back to Earth last month following a commercial satellite launch ignited again Friday in a hold-down test at SpaceX's Cape Canaveral launch pad, days before the company is due to launch its next mission from California, officials said.

Offshore barge landing targeted after next Falcon 9 launch
Nearly a month after nailing a landing a rocket landing at Cape Canaveral, SpaceX plans to steer the next flight of a Falcon 9 booster toward a recovery vessel in the Pacific Ocean after a Jan. 17 blastoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
VideoWhat’s next for SpaceX’s recovered Falcon 9 booster?
SpaceX ground crews at Kennedy Space Center's Apollo-era launch complex 39A are putting the 156-foot-tall Falcon 9 first stage booster that flew to space and back Dec. 21 through a thorough inspection, setting the stage for a hold-down test firing at the launch pad.

SpaceX rocket landing applauded, but experts say implications TBD
The successful launch and landing by the first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Monday was a significant step toward achieving reusability and, eventually, lowering launch costs, but turning that success into operational reality poses a significant challenge for company founder Elon Musk.

Photos: Falcon 9 booster stands upright after landing
SpaceX took a group of reporters and photographers just offshore the Falcon 9 rocket's landing point Tuesday, a day after the 15-story booster made a pinpoint touchdown after helping send 11 communications satellites into orbit.

Round-trip rocket flight gives SpaceX a trifecta of successes
Flying through the sky at supersonic speed, a Falcon 9 rocket stage descended to a historic landing at Cape Canaveral on Monday, returning to the spaceport minutes after boosting 11 Orbcomm communications satellites toward orbit on SpaceX’s first mission since a major failure in June.

Q&A with Elon Musk after SpaceX’s first rocket landing
SpaceX's billionaire founder and chief executive Elon Musk spoke with reporters just after successfully landing a Falcon 9 booster for the first time.
VideoFrom all angles: Up and down with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster
Relive the experience with imagery from Monday night's blazing blastoff of a Falcon 9 rocket and its historic, dramatic landing at Cape Canaveral.

Falcon 9 launch timeline with Orbcomm satellites
Track the progress of the launch and landing of SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 rocket carrying 11 Orbcomm message relay satellites with this timeline of major events in the flight sequence.