On Tuesday, February 24, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida at 6:04 p.m. Eastern time. It was a twilight launch, meaning the Sun was low and the sky was shifting from sunset colors toward night, making the scene look especially dramatic.
The rocket carried 29 Starlink satellites, which are machines that orbit Earth and help with things like communication and internet signals. After the satellites were released, the rocket’s booster did something that can seem like a science-fiction trick: it returned and landed on a floating drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Reusing a booster is a big deal because it’s more like using a sturdy water bottle again instead of throwing away a single-use container. Reuse can save materials and time, and it can help engineers launch more often.
Landing on a ship is hard because the ship is moving and the ocean is wiggly, so the booster has to line up very carefully. When you hear about a landing like this, it’s smart to think about the many steps involved—launch timing, releasing satellites, and then guiding a fast-moving machine back to a precise spot.
The rocket carried 29 Starlink satellites, which are machines that orbit Earth and help with things like communication and internet signals. After the satellites were released, the rocket’s booster did something that can seem like a science-fiction trick: it returned and landed on a floating drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Reusing a booster is a big deal because it’s more like using a sturdy water bottle again instead of throwing away a single-use container. Reuse can save materials and time, and it can help engineers launch more often.
Landing on a ship is hard because the ship is moving and the ocean is wiggly, so the booster has to line up very carefully. When you hear about a landing like this, it’s smart to think about the many steps involved—launch timing, releasing satellites, and then guiding a fast-moving machine back to a precise spot.