Second Falcon 9 Rocket Ground Lands Successfully

400px-Launch_of_JunoSpaceX has successfully landed another unmanned Falcon 9 rocket after launching it into space early on Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The 23-story-tall Falcon 9 rocket is built and flown by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies. Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 12:45 a.m. EDT. and shortly after take-off, the vehicle touched down at the launch site, SpaceX’s Landing Complex 1. 

SpaceX has successfully landed another unmanned Falcon 9 rocket after launching it into space this evening from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Falcon 9 had to send a cargo ship to the International Space Station. Shortly after take-off, the vehicle turned around and landed itself back at the launch site- SpaceX’s Landing Complex 1 — a ground-based landing site that the company leases at the Cape Canaveral.

Tonight’s landing was the second time SpaceX has performed ground landing successfully and the fifth time the company has recovered one of his rockets after launching. In adition, the launch was the commercial spaceflight company’s ninth mission to the International Space Station. On top of the rocket was a Dragon capsule filled with nearly two and a half tons of food, supplies and equipment, including a miniature DNA sequencer, the first to fly in space. most impressive of which is the International Docking Adaptor—a crucial modification that will allow the next generation of space capsules access to the International station.

The manned spacecraft are planned to start test flights next year.