Tuesday, March 28, 2017
SpaceX Gears Up For Historic Launch Of Reused Rocket
Los Angeles area rocket and spacecraft developer SpaceX is gearing up for what might be a historic first launch of a reused rocket stage, as it gets set to launch the SES-10 satellite into space. SpaceX said that it has completed static launch tests on a Falcon 9 on Monday, as it aims for a launch on Thursday. SpaceX is attempting to use the same first stage booster it used in its first at-sea landing in the launch, and again attempt to return that booster to earth for future use. The ability to re-use Space's boosters promise to dramatically lower the cost of sending payloads to space. The rocket stage being used was used last year to launch a payload to the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX SES-10 launch window opens at 6 p.m. EDT on Thursday; the rocket is on Launchpad 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center.