Falcon-9 flight and landing

• Falcon-9 flight and landing of

Publish high-quality images and video fantastic landing of the first stage rocket Falcon-9 on the floating platform. This experiment was a success for the first time - before there were four failures. But the landing stage on the land was already in December.

April 9 rocket Falcon-9 company SpaceX launched from Cape Canaveral, with cargo space Dragon spacecraft on board the mission CRS-8 to deliver cargo to the International Space Station on NASA request. The current mission was not quite normal, that is, to about half of the cargo on external sling -.. One and a half tons - was a small experimental convertible Beam module for the space station. At the station, he did not really need, but it is necessary to assess the prospects of using inflatable structures in space.

In this video you can learn a bit more detail:

The launch took place exactly at the scheduled time, which is surprising, usually at the SpaceX launch should be delayed for various reasons. In my memory this is the second start-up, without shifting period.

The last time in December 2015, the rocket was carrying a total of three tons of cargo, so the supply of fuel returned to the level enough to return to the launch site, almost to the start. But this time the load was more than 8 tons, so the rocket stage to catch a barge in the sea. In this case it was a necessary measure, as a possibility to return the stage was not.

And the landing was just ideal.

View from the drone:

The view from the side of a rocket:

Probably after planting stage, the barge should land engineering team that will fix the missile on the platform. Although the stage and so is quite stable - empty tanks easy, and the majority of rockets are concentrated in the lower parts: engines, legs. Therefore, the rocket is not so terrible pitching the wind - sailing high.

According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, this technology can significantly reduce the cost of clearance of cargo into space. Previously announced strategy to reduce the cost figures ten times, but even lower cost half as seriously affects the market. In Mask missiles and so almost the cheapest in the world. Already announced that the rocket stage again took a flight in May or June. SpaceX hopes to reduce the cost of re-flight by 30%, but it is rumored that customers are demanding a 50% discount. In general, we live in interesting times.