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.

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