Take off: take two

On March 30, 2017, SpaceX changed the future of space travel by successfully launching a previously used rocket. This was the first time in history that an orbital class rocket has flown on two separate missions.

The rocket, a Falcon 9 model, first launched into space to deliver an inflatable habitat to the International Space Station. It landed on a drone ship just off the coast of Florida, which was a feat in itself. Landing a rocket at sea is difficult to begin with, because waves can make even the largest ships moving targets.

However, the reflight of the same Falcon 9 rocket is what really took SpaceX to the next level. The rocket was sent into space to launch a satellite into orbit, before returning to Earth and landing on the same drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean just eight minutes later.

This reflight is especially significant for SpaceX, a private company known for its plans to allow space tourists to travel around the galaxy. Their mission statement on Spacex.com even says they aim “to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.”

With the new ability to reuse expensive orbital class rockets, which cost around $62 million each, SpaceX could make interplanetary travel much more affordable for tomorrow’s galactic vacationers.

“If I had the money, I probably would travel into space,” Nate Davis, 10, said. “I do not think it would be a popular thing, though, because it would still be expensive and a lot of people might be afraid of the risks involved. It would also take forever to get anywhere.”

SpaceX already has plans to send two private citizens on a trip around the moon in late 2018, and is continuing to work towards their ultimate goal of sending humans to Mars.