Falcon 9: it flew, and then landed – Komsomolskaya Pravda

About nine in the evening Moscow time, an American private rocket Falcon 9 successfully launched from the American base BBC Vandenberg state California. She should launch a dozen telecommunications satellites, Iridium NEXT. But the point of this start was different.

Previous Falcon exploded on September 11 last year, during start-up. And this missile was considered as one of the “working” horses that should ensure the operation of the International space station. Trucks Dragon has already delivered cargo to ISS. Musk even presented a manned spacecraft of the same name. United States are trying to accelerate work on the creation of his own ship, which is to bring to the station the astronauts and return them home. Yet the only means of delivery remain the Russian “Unions”. To Mask the inclusion of Dragon and Falcon 9 to the ISS program is not only a guarantee of profitable orders from NASA, but another step towards the blue dream – is sent to Mars for the crew of the pioneer.

Crash of the missiles always happen inappropriately. The explosion of the Falcon 11 September was really quite sad. Who now to agree on the rocket that sometimes blows up, to send into space people? Cargo is still where went. But manned ships… especially after the two tragedies that killed two of the crew of the Shuttle.

So now the Mask even more strictly inspect the missile sites so that all launches of the Falcon 9 was uneventful.

And second, again successfully carried out resistant "Golden boy America". The first stage of the rocket safely again sat on a sea platform in the Pacific ocean. This is a complex operation. Something even harder than the start.

Musk coached missiles with a very long view. To exploit already visited flight of the first stage until very expensive – all you need to re-check to go through – easier and slightly more expensive new first stage. But to sit on the surface of Mars, and then start with it the crew is only possible in the case that engineers learn how to reuse a rocket. The spaceport after all, the red planet no and it will not be long.