SpaceX sticks another sea landing: Is it a reliable business model? [View all]

[WhiteTara]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2016/0528/SpaceX-sticks-another-sea-landing-Is-it-a-reliable-business-model

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stuck another landing last night, its third this year. With a handful of successes under its belt, is SpaceX one step closer to providing more affordable spaceflight service?

SpaceX streamed video of the rocket’s launch and landing last night via its website. Viewers were able to watch the Falcon 9 rocket take off with its massive payload, a 6,669 pound Thaicm 8 communications satellite, before the rocket soared 91,000 kilometers (56,000 miles) above Earth's surface.

After delivering its payload, the rocket headed back to Earth. The speed and altitude required to launch the communications satellite made the rocket’s chance of a successful landing less certain.

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Rockets cost around $60 million, according to an April article in the Christian Science Monitor, but refueling only costs between $200,000 and $300,000. That’s a massive difference, and SpaceX executives say it could make all the difference to the future of space travel.