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| 'Welcome back baby': Elon Musk celebrates SpaceX rocket launch – and landing | 'Welcome back baby': Elon Musk celebrates SpaceX rocket launch – and landing |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Monday with a payload of communications satellites before the reusable main-stage booster turned around, and landed safely near its Cape Canaveral launch pad in a dramatic spaceflight first. | A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Monday with a payload of communications satellites before the reusable main-stage booster turned around, and landed safely near its Cape Canaveral launch pad in a dramatic spaceflight first. |
| The launch and successful return of the rocket’s first stage, followed by deployment of all 11 satellites delivered to orbit for customer ORBCOMM Inc, marked the first SpaceX flight since a June accident that destroyed a cargo ship bound for the International Space Station. | The launch and successful return of the rocket’s first stage, followed by deployment of all 11 satellites delivered to orbit for customer ORBCOMM Inc, marked the first SpaceX flight since a June accident that destroyed a cargo ship bound for the International Space Station. |
| The upgraded, 23-story-tall rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8.29pmEST (1.29am GMT), with the main stage returning about 10 minutes later to a landing site about six miles south of its launch pad. | The upgraded, 23-story-tall rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8.29pmEST (1.29am GMT), with the main stage returning about 10 minutes later to a landing site about six miles south of its launch pad. |
| The smooth mission gives a major boost to privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, the California-based company founded and operated by high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. | The smooth mission gives a major boost to privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, the California-based company founded and operated by high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. |
| Musk has said the ability to return its rockets to Earth so they can be refurbished and reflown would slash his company’s operational costs in the burgeoning and highly competitive private space launch industry. | Musk has said the ability to return its rockets to Earth so they can be refurbished and reflown would slash his company’s operational costs in the burgeoning and highly competitive private space launch industry. |
| SpaceX employees erupted in jubilation as they watched a live stream of the 156-foot-tall white booster slowly descending amid a glowing orange ball. | SpaceX employees erupted in jubilation as they watched a live stream of the 156-foot-tall white booster slowly descending amid a glowing orange ball. |
| “Welcome back, baby!,” Musk said in a celebratory tweet. | “Welcome back, baby!,” Musk said in a celebratory tweet. |
| 11 satellites deployed to target orbit and Falcon has landed back at Cape Canaveral. Headed to LZ-1. Welcome back, baby! | 11 satellites deployed to target orbit and Falcon has landed back at Cape Canaveral. Headed to LZ-1. Welcome back, baby! |
| There and back again pic.twitter.com/Ll7wg2hL1G | There and back again pic.twitter.com/Ll7wg2hL1G |
| Rival company Blue Origin, a space startup founded by Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, nailed a similar return rocket landing test last month, but the SpaceX feat was achieved during an actual commercial launch. | Rival company Blue Origin, a space startup founded by Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, nailed a similar return rocket landing test last month, but the SpaceX feat was achieved during an actual commercial launch. |
| Minutes after blast-off, the Falcon 9’s first stage rocket separated from its upper-stage booster, which continued on into orbit to release ORBCOMM’s satellites, which will provide machine-to-machine messaging services on the ground - such as between retailers and shipping containers. | Minutes after blast-off, the Falcon 9’s first stage rocket separated from its upper-stage booster, which continued on into orbit to release ORBCOMM’s satellites, which will provide machine-to-machine messaging services on the ground - such as between retailers and shipping containers. |
| The rocket’s main stage then turned around, fired a series of engine burns, deployed landing legs, and settled itself onto a newly refurbished landing pad occupying a decommissioned missile site. | The rocket’s main stage then turned around, fired a series of engine burns, deployed landing legs, and settled itself onto a newly refurbished landing pad occupying a decommissioned missile site. |
| SpaceX previously experimented, unsuccessfully, with landing its rockets on a platform in the ocean. | SpaceX previously experimented, unsuccessfully, with landing its rockets on a platform in the ocean. |
| The Hawthorne, California-based company was founded in 2002 by Musk, who also serves as chief executive of Tesla Motors Inc., the electric car maker. | The Hawthorne, California-based company was founded in 2002 by Musk, who also serves as chief executive of Tesla Motors Inc., the electric car maker. |