SpaceX reusable launch system development program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:23, 23 November 2024

Revision as of 00:05, 25 November 2024

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{{Private spaceflight}}

[[SpaceX]] has [[private spaceflight|privately funded]] the development of [[Orbital spaceflight|orbital]] [[spacecraft|launch system]]s that can be [[reusable launch vehicle|reused]] many times, similar to the reusability of [[aircraft]]. SpaceX has developed technologies oversince the last decade2010s to facilitate full and rapid reuse of space [[launch vehicle]]s. The project's long-term objectives include returning a launch vehicle [[multistage rocket|first stage]] to the launch site within minutes and to return a second stage to the [[launch pad]], following orbital realignment with the launch site and [[atmospheric entry|atmospheric reentry]] in up to 24 hours. SpaceX's long term goal would have been reusability of both stages of their orbital launch vehicle, and the first stage would be designed to allow reuse a few hours after return.<ref name="pm20120207">{{cite news |url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/rockets/elon-musk-on-spacexs-reusable-rocket-plans-6653023 |title=Elon Musk on SpaceX's Reusable Rocket Plans |work=Popular Mechanics |last=Simberg |first=Rand |date=February 8, 2012 |access-date=February 7, 2012 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092432/http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/rockets/elon-musk-on-spacexs-reusable-rocket-plans-6653023 |url-status=live }}</ref> Development of reusable second stages for Falcon 9 was later abandoned in favor of developing [[SpaceX Starship|Starship]].<ref name="nosecondstagereuse" /> However, SpaceX still developed reusable payload fairings for the Falcon 9.<ref name="sn20170330" />

The program was announced in 2011. SpaceX first achieved a [[Falcon 9 Flight 20|successful landing and recovery of a first stage]] in December 2015. The [[SES-10|first re-flight of a landed first stage]] occurred in March 2017<ref name=sn20170330/> with the second occurring in June 2017, that one only five months after the maiden flight of the booster.<ref name=sir-20170626 /> The third attempt occurred in October 2017 with the [[SES-11]]/[[EchoStar-105]] mission. Reflights of refurbished first stages then became routine. In May 2021, B1051 became the first booster to launch ten missions.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Sesnic|first1=Trevor|last2=Fletcher|first2=Colin|last3=Kanayama|first3=Lee|date=2021-05-08|title=SpaceX flies historic 10th mission of a Falcon 9 as Starlink constellation expands|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/05/historic-10th-falcon9-reflight/|access-date=2021-05-19|website=NASASpaceFlight.com|language=en-US|archive-date=May 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516121203/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/05/historic-10th-falcon9-reflight/|url-status=live}}</ref>