NASA first private company to launch recycled rocket with recycled spaceship

Florida : Space X made a historic attempt by successfully lifting up a recycled rocket and a spaceship into space. Interestingly, the boosters landed back on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This was 20th time when SpaceX had managed to return its rocket boosters after launch.

"That marks the second successful visit to and from space for this particular booster," said a SpaceX commentator, as live images showed the tall portion of the rocket glide down, upright, from the air to the launchpad.

A recycled Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 10:36 am (local time). After three minutes, the booster separated from the second stage of the rocket, while it continued to propel towards International Space Station, the boosters arced back towards the landing zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

“This is the beginning of rapid and reliability reusability,” said SpaceX Dragon mission manager Jessica Jensen, at a press briefing Monday. The launch was initially set for last Friday but was delayed, as SpaceX said it was “taking additional time for the team to conduct full inspections and cleanings due to the detection of particles in the second stage fuel system.”

“The net result is about equivalent risk,” he told reporters Monday. The unmanned spaceship is packed with 4,800 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of food, supplies and experiments — including one to study thyroid cancer and another to grow barley in space.

The Dragon spacecraft will reach International Space Station on Sunday.