SpaceX publishes more pics and video of Falcon 9 rocket landing

Just months after the setback of a launch explosion, a SpaceX rocket managed to launch satellites into space, then tumble back to Earth, use rockets to stabilize itself and land vertically on a small pad in Florida.

The first-stage successful upright landing of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, December 21, 2015 at Cape Canaveral.

Video images were soon cut off and the SpaceX live webcast returned to its commentators, who described the successful deployment of the rocket s payload of 11 satellites for ORBCOMM, a global communications company.

The idea is to reuse the the rockets that return to Earth, making launches much less expensive in the future. As this technology develops, it will make recreational space travel, new manned expeditions to the Moon, and even to Mars, considerably more cost-effective. The rocket was launched by United States space company SpaceX.

SpaceX previously experimented, unsuccessfully, with landing its rockets on a platform in the ocean. The rocket was carrying $110 million worth of supplies for NASA to the International Space Station. Headed to LZ-1. Welcome back, baby!

In upgraded Falcon 9, the liquid oxygen was cooled to minus 340 degrees Fahrenheit which was about 40 degrees before and the kerosene fuel was cooled to 20 degrees which was 70 degrees before.

The 23-story-high Falcon 9 went almost 125 miles (200 km) into space before separating its second stage to deliver 11 ORBCOMM satellites.

A remodelled version of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifting off on Monday at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the launcher’s first mission since a June failure.

It took a bit of trial and error, but SpaceX has finally pulled it off – the Falcon 9 rocket is officially a reusable piece of space tech.