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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket flared to life in the early hours of Friday morning to launch a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket carried, amid other things, a floating robot caput. That's not the but reason this launch was special. Both the Falcon 9 first phase booster and the Dragon capsule take been used in previous launches, allowing SpaceX to again celebrate about its reusable rocket prowess.

The mission launched at five:42 AM from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 2nd phase separated and made its fashion into orbit. It will meet up with the space station on Monday to deliver 5,900 pounds (2,700 kg) of cargo. That includes the aforementioned robot head, but besides NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Infinite Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument. In fact, more than half the full mass consists of scientific equipment.

As for Fri's launch, the Dragon capsule went to the ISS previously in July of 2022. The first stage booster sent NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) into space back in Apr. But 10 weeks for a complete refit and reuse of a Falcon ix rocket is impressive. Yous tin can see the total SpaceX webcast of the launch beneath (the launch starts around 18 minutes).

This feat might accept been even more impressive if SpaceX had landed the Falcon nine again, only that wasn't in the cards. It wasn't then much that it would accept been unusually difficult, simply SpaceX simply didn't need this rocket booster anymore. The company recently debuted the Falcon 9 Block 5, which is the final variant of the vehicle. The rocket from Fri'southward launch was an older Cake iv variant. Rather than go to the expense of retrieving and transporting information technology, SpaceX simply permit it drop into the body of water.

The Dragon will stay linked with the ISS for a month, somewhen returning to Earth with 2,860 pounds (1,297 kg) of scientific gear that is no longer needed on the station. SpaceX hasn't said if it plans to utilise that vehicle a third time.

This marks the second fourth dimension NASA has flown a completely reused launch vehicle. The terminal fourth dimension was in Dec of 2022, which was another ISS resupply mission. SpaceX has and so far landed Falcon 9 boosters 25 times and flown fourteen of those rockets a second fourth dimension. Every bit it farther develops reusable rocket technology, SpaceX hopes to lower the cost of launches significantly. Not only volition it make more profit, but it can undercut other launch providers similar Orbital ATK and ULA.