Rocket launch company SpaceX successfully landed its sixth Falcon 9 rocket, after the rocket helped send a satellite into orbit a few days ago.
The Falcon 9’s landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean this week marks SpaceX’s fourth successful effort landing its reusable rocket in the ocean.
Delaware’s NASA solar system ambassador Brandi Besecker said this helps build the SpaceX’s case that these rockets are a viable option.
“The more that they can demonstrate that it is possible, the more it proves that to drive the cost down, make commercial space more cheaper, more accessible to the public — that's really what they’re trying to demonstrate," Besecker said.
The satellite, called JCSAT-16, will function as a backup for communication satellites already in orbit.
With the landing’s success, SpaceX continues to test the Falcon 9 to make sure it is still usable. But they’ve been vague about when the next launch will take place.
