SpaceX rocket in historic vertical landing
Video: http://tinyurl.com/nubuxkj
- 2 hours ago
- From the section Science & Environment
- edia captionThe rocket landed vertically back on earth
US space company SpaceX has successfully landed an unmanned rocket upright - the first time such a feat has been accomplished.
The Falcon-9 rocket booster despatched 11 communications satellites before returning to an upright position at Cape Canaveral. The achievement has been hailed as milestone towards reusing rockets.
It is hoped the mission will boost moves to reduce the cost of private space operations.
The launch of a rocket is the first by SpaceX since one exploded in June.
On that occasion an unmanned Falcon-9 broke apart in flames minutes after lifting off from Cape Canaveral, with debris tumbling out of the sky into the Atlantic Ocean.
The rocket, which had 18 straight successes prior to the fateful flight, was in the process of sending a cargo ship to the International Space Station (ISS).
SpaceX has a $1.6bn (£1.08bn; €1.47bn) contract with Nasa to send supplies to the ISS.
Flawless launch
The upgraded, 23-storey-tall rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with the main stage returning about 10 minutes later to a landing site about 9.65km (6 miles) south of its launch pad.
Image copyright Reuters 
Image copyright AP Mr Musk has said the ability to return its rockets to Earth so they can be reused and reflown would hugely reduce his company's operational costs in the growing but highly competitive private space launch industry.
SpaceX employees broke out in celebration as they watched a live stream of the 47m-tall (156ft) white booster slowly descend to earth in the form of a glowing orange ball.
Image copyright Reuters 
Image copyright AP SpaceX commentators described the launch and return - the first time an orbital rocket successfully achieved a controlled landing on Earth - as "incredibly exciting".
"This was a first for us at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and I can't even begin to describe the joy the team feels right now having been a part of this historic first-stage rocket landing," the top officer at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Brig Gen Wayne Monteith, said in a statement.
SpaceX is aiming to revolutionise the rocket industry, which up until now has lost millions of dollars in discarded machinery and valuable rocket parts after each launch.
Several earlier attempts to land the Falcon 9's first stage on an ocean platform have failed.
The rocket reached a height of 200km (125 miles) before heading back to Earth and touching down.
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