{"id":19413,"date":"2016-04-08T23:31:12","date_gmt":"2016-04-08T15:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-lands-falcon-rocket-at-sea-after-launching-a-pop-up-room-to-space-station\/"},"modified":"2016-04-08T23:31:12","modified_gmt":"2016-04-08T15:31:12","slug":"spacex-lands-falcon-rocket-at-sea-after-launching-a-pop-up-room-to-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-lands-falcon-rocket-at-sea-after-launching-a-pop-up-room-to-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX lands Falcon rocket at sea after launching a pop-up room to space station"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SpaceX
The first stage of SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket stands erect on a drone ship after landing. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SpaceX launched a Dragon cargo capsule today with an expandable module for the International Space Station, and then successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on an oceangoing platform.<\/p>\n

The Atlantic Ocean landing, accomplished after four not-quite-successful attempts, was greeted by wild cheering at SpaceX\u2019s headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. \u201cUSA! USA!\u201d they chanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a really good milestone for the future of spaceflight,\u201d SpaceX\u2019s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, told reporters afterward at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. \u201cIt\u2019s another step toward the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was also the capper for a remarkable comeback. The last time SpaceX tried sending a Dragon to the space station, the Falcon 9 rocket <\/span>came apart shortly after launch. The problem was traced to a<\/span> faulty strut inside the second stage. <\/span><\/p>\n

SpaceX addressed the issue, and the Falcon 9 went on to execute three successful satellite launches. <\/span>Today\u2019s launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida came off successfully as well, and in the minutes afterward, attention turned to the landing.<\/p>\n

Today marked the first time any rocket has made a controlled landing on an oceangoing platform, rather than splashing down. The feat required pinpoint accuracy as the Falcon 9 first stage decelerated during a supersonic descent from a height of well more than 60 miles. In the final moments, the rocket\u2019s Merlin engines gave a final blast and the booster settled to rest on its four landing legs.<\/p>\n

Landing the first stage after liftoff is part of SpaceX\u2019s plan to increase rocket reusability and reduce launch costs. In December, a Falcon 9 booster was successfully brought back to a landing pad near the Florida launch site, but the company wanted to perfect an at-sea landing because that\u2019s the scenario it\u2019ll have to deal with for about half of its launches.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xN3CSgNbf8Y<\/p>\n

During the four previous at-sea attempts, the Falcon 9 either hit the deck too hard or toppled over, each time resulting in a fiery crash. This time, the autonomous drone ship \u2013 nicknamed \u201cOf Course I Still Love You\u201d in honor of the sentient starships in Iain M. Banks\u2019 sci-fi novels \u2013 is bringing the booster back to port intact.<\/p>\n

Musk said the recovered booster would get a thorough checkout, including 10 test firings of its rocket engines. If it passes all the tests, the first stage could be readied for another launch in June, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the future we hope we\u2019ll be able to relaunch them within a few weeks,\u201d Musk said.<\/p>\n

But the success of this mission doesn\u2019t depend on the landing or the booster\u2019s condition. Rather, the primary goal is to deliver the cargo to the space station.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s going well,\u201d Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX\u2019s vice president of flight reliability, said at today\u2019s post-launch news conference. \u201cIt\u2019s an awesome day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SpaceX
SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, sending a Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most important payload is an experiment known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM.<\/p>\n

The 3,100-pound, 5-foot-tall module, built for NASA by Nevada-based Bigelow Aerospace, is designed to be attached to a port on the station\u2019s Tranquility node. Once it\u2019s hooked up, it can inflate to become a 13-foot-long, 10.5-foot-diameter room.<\/p>\n

The astronauts can float inside to hang out, but BEAM won\u2019t be used for critical functions. Instead, NASA will monitor how it stands up in the space environment.<\/p>\n

The results of the experiment are likely to be factored into the construction of next-generation space modules for use in commercial space stations, or as habitats for missions to the moon or Mars.<\/p>\n