Reusable Rockets Becoming the Next Frontier for Space Travel

SpaceX Rocket Launch. Source: SpaceX (Creative Commons License).

Elon Musk is pushing SpaceX to unimaginable heights in the space industry. Thanks to his visionary leadership, SpaceX has demonstrated that space rockets can be reusable. How does SpaceX reuse rockets, and what are the benefits? Continue reading to find out.

How Reusable Rockets Work

It is interesting to note that Musk did not always plan to go into rocket production. He was content to buy rockets from Russia to power his Martian colonization dream. However, due to a deal that went sour, Musk decided to make his own rockets.

In the past, rockets were largely a one-off use, and they blew up after each flight. However, like any project Musk takes on, he went back to the drawing board and realized that his interest and that of the space industry would be better served by reusing rockets.

Rockets can be reusable in different parts or as a whole. SpaceX has achieved the latter with its workhorse, the Falcon 9, which has completed 90 landings and re-flown 72 rockets. This powerful rocket can recover and reuse its booster numerous amount of times. The company has gained the trust of major players in the industry, including NASA, which has allowed SpaceX to send its payload to space using refurbished boosters and the US military, who have certified SpaceX’s used boosters for its missions.

SpaceX recovers the boosters for the Falcon 9 by landing them on land or on drone ships out in the ocean. They separate from the upper stage and return to the earth.

The new spacecraft that SpaceX is developing, the Starship, will achieve reusability in both stages. The lower stage, or the Super Heavy, will land on its retractable legs or be caught by a pair of arms on the tower. The upper stage, or the Ship, will land in a similar version after re-entry. Musk targets thirty minutes between launches for the same rocket.

SpaceX has achieved the latter with its workhorse, the Falcon 9, which has completed 90 landings and re-flown 72 rockets.

There are many challenges to solve before spacecraft are reusable, including protecting the vehicle from the enormous amount of heat generated during re-entry. However, SpaceX has been addressing each of these issues while testing the Starship.

Advantages to Reusable Rockets 

The most significant advantage is cost. Musk wants a future where the largest expenditure in space travel is fuel costs, just like the aviation industry. In fact, Musk illustrated the need for reusable rockets by imagining commercial aircraft being fit only for single-use. In that case, air travel would only be affordable to a small class of humanity.

Even though the Falcon 9 is partially reusable, SpaceX has been able to slash the cost of launches per seat for NASA astronauts, effectively taking business away from Russia, who were giving American astronauts rides to the International Space Station.

With reduced costs, Musk hopes to make trips to Mars affordable for more than just the ultra-rich.