SpaceX Reusable Rocket Makes History With Successful Relaunch

By Edwin Kee
Falcon 9's successful launch
A shot of Falcon 9's launch and first stage landing -- mishap-free. SpaceX

Space, the final frontier. That and living 20,000 leagues under the sea. Personally, I would prefer to live under all of that pressure with the threat of drowning, than to be in a weightless environment that sees the calcium density of my bones slowly but surely sap away with time, turning me into a brittle skeleton by the time I return to earth. Well, traveling to space is no mean feat, and it is certainly an expensive affair. There are many calculations to take into consideration, and so far, rockets are used only once -- and then discarded away. Not so with Elon Musk's SpaceX program. It seems that SpaceX's reusable rockets' recent testing saw the successful launch and landing of its recycled Falcon 9 rocket as envisioned, opening up the satellite business where smaller companies are concerned. This marks the first reflight of an orbital class rocket in the world.

With the Falcon 9’s success in its latest mission, it could literally change the way the space industry works. After all, to date most of the rockets that end up in orbit tends to be destroyed, or remains as debris out there. In other words, each new launch would most probably see the creation and development of a brand new rocket, and this is very costly even if your last name is Gates. Well, SpaceX has for more than half a decade now developing reusable rockets which could end up with millions of dollars in savings, and has successfully landed its Falcon 9 rockets on land and at sea -- with the future project involving sending these rockets back to space.

The success of the Falcon 9 project could potentially reduce launch costs by up to a whopping 30%, and in time, this might see several key segments of the satellite market grow as well. At time of publishing, SpaceX's base launch price stands at $62 million for a Falcon 9 rocket, which is already cheaper compared to its competitors. However, smaller companies still find this to be out of reach for them, especially when it involves sending satellites into the vacuum that we call space.

To reduce the entry price point to $40 million would mean the door is flung wide open to cater to a wider range of satellites at various orbital levels, all the while serving different needs. It would also not be surprising to see some of SpaceX’s rivals adopt its practices as well to make the industry more competitive. SpaceX is looking into rolling out its very own constellation of approximately 4,200 LEO satellites, with South Korean conglomerate Samsung also having their own plan to send up around 4,600 LEO satellites along the way.

At the very least, at least last year's Falcon 9 rocket explosion did not end up as a stumbling block or a deterrent for Elon Musk to forge forward with the idea of reusable rockets. Now that another huge stride has been made in this aspect, we cannot help but wonder how bright the future is.

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories