SpaceX achieves a significant milestone with 400 successful rocket landings, marking a remarkable advancement in the reuse of space technology.
SpaceX achieved a significant milestone during the Starlink satellite launch on Tuesday, January 21, from California.
In this mission, a Falcon 9 rocket successfully deployed 27 Starlink broadband satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Approximately eight minutes post-launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 returned to Earth as intended, successfully landing on a drone ship stationed at sea.
SpaceX has made such precise landings a routine occurrence, accomplishing this feat hundreds of times to date. Notably, the success of Tuesday’s mission marked the 400th landing of its orbital-class rockets, as announced by the company on X.
The majority of these successful landings have been performed by the Falcon 9, which serves as SpaceX’s primary rocket. The company frequently reuses Falcon 9 boosters, with one particular first stage achieving an impressive record of 25 launches and landings.
The remaining 400 landings have been achieved through SpaceX’s formidable Falcon Heavy, which is comprised of three modified Falcon 9 boosters in its first stage. Although the Falcon Heavy has the capability to accomplish three landings in a single mission, it has completed only 11 flights thus far.
Landings performed by the next-generation Starship megarocket, a fully reusable spacecraft that SpaceX is designing to facilitate human settlement on the Moon and Mars, among other objectives, are not included in this count. It is important to note that the upper stages of both the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are not reusable.
In contrast, the upper stage of Starship experienced an explosion approximately 8.5 minutes into its seventh flight, likely due to a propellant leak.