SpaceX launches supplies on recycled rocket
TAMPA ( Florida): SpaceX blasted off a load of supplies for the International Space Station aboard a rocket and a cargo ship that have both flown before, marking the second such flight for the Californiabased company.
“Falcon 9 is on its way,” a SpaceX commentator said as the white rocket surged skyward over Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4.30pm on Monday.
SpaceX’s Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management, said the booster had previously launched in August 2017, and the Dragon flew to the space station in April 2016.
SpaceX’s first such double-recycle resupply mission for Nasa flew to the orbiting outpost in December 2017.
The effort is part of SpaceX’s mission to lower the cost of space flight by re-using costly, multimillion-dollar components that typically have been discarded into the ocean after each launch.
Monday’s trip marked SpaceX’s 14th resupply mission for Nasa under a US$1.6bil (RM6.2bil) contract that aims to guarantee supplies and equipment to the astronauts living in orbit.
The capsule is packed with about 2,600kg of food and science experiments, including one to study thunderstorms and another to test drug development in space.
The cargo ship is scheduled to latch onto the space station early Wednesday. — AFP