SpaceX has managed to land Falcon Heavy’s three rocket boosters for the first time
Its successful landing of the center core from a Falcon Heavy is a relief for SpaceX after a similar attempt ended in disaster last year.
What happened: The second Falcon Heavy rocket launch took place April 11, launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Shortly after, the rocket’s three boosters touched down back on Earth. Two landed almost simultaneously back on Cape Canaveral (you can watch the video here). The third central booster, which had gone higher into orbit, landed on a ship platform in the Atlantic Ocean.
Center core: It’s the landing of this third booster that is the greatest achievement, after a similar attempt by SpaceX failed in 2018 instead hitting the ocean at 300 miles an hour.
Why it matters: It’s all about reusability, which is at the core of SpaceX’s plans to bring down the cost of space travel.
Sign up here for our daily newsletter The Download to get your dose of the latest must-read news from the world of emerging tech.
Deep Dive
Space
The Biggest Questions: Are we alone in the universe?
Scientists are training machine-learning models and designing instruments to hunt for life on other worlds.
The Biggest Questions: Why is the universe so complex and beautiful?
For some reason the universe is full of stars, galaxies, and life. But it didn’t have to be this way.
This startup wants to find out if humans can have babies in space
SpaceBorn United wants to conduct an IVF experiment in Earth’s orbit to pave the way for long-term space missions.
Inside NASA’s bid to make spacecraft as small as possible
When it comes to exploring the solar system, we must grapple with the hard limits of physics.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.