SpaceX reusable launch system development program

SpaceX reusable launch system development program
Falcon 9 Flight 20's first stage (Full Thrust B1019) landing vertically on Landing Zone 1 in December 2015
Program overview
CountryUnited States
OrganizationSpaceX
PurposeReusable launch system
StatusActive
Program history
Duration2011–present
First flightSpaceX CRS-3
Launch site(s)
Vehicle information
Launch vehicle(s)
Part of a series on
Private spaceflight
Active companies
Active vehicles
Contracts and programs
Related

SpaceX has privately funded the development of orbital launch systems that can be reused many times, similar to the reusability of aircraft. SpaceX has developed technologies over the last decade to facilitate full and rapid reuse of space launch vehicles. The project's long-term objectives include returning a launch vehicle first stage to the launch site within minutes and to return a second stage to the launch pad, following orbital realignment with the launch site and atmospheric reentry in up to 24 hours. SpaceX's long term goal would have been reusability of both stages of their orbital launch vehicle, and the first stage would be designed to allow reuse a few hours after return.[1] Development of reusable second stages for Falcon 9 was later abandoned in favor of developing Starship.[2] However, SpaceX still developed reusable payload fairings for the Falcon 9.[3]

The program was announced in 2011. SpaceX first achieved a successful landing and recovery of a first stage in December 2015. The first re-flight of a landed first stage occurred in March 2017[3] with the second occurring in June 2017, that one only five months after the maiden flight of the booster.[4] The third attempt occurred in October 2017 with the SES-11/EchoStar-105 mission. Reflights of refurbished first stages then became routine. In May 2021, B1051 became the first booster to launch ten missions.[5]

The reusable launch system technology was initially developed for the first stage of Falcon 9.[6] After stage separation, the booster flips around (an optional boostback burn reverses its course), a reentry burn sheds gravity-induced speed to prevent stage overheating as the spacecraft reenters the thicker part of the atmosphere, and a landing burn accomplishes the final low-altitude deceleration and touchdown.

SpaceX planned since at least 2014 to develop reusable second stages, a more challenging engineering problem because the vehicle is traveling at orbital velocity.[7][6][8] Second stage reuse is considered vital to Elon Musk's plans for settlement of Mars. Initial concepts for a reusable Falcon 9 second stage were abandoned by 2018.[2]

As of 2023, SpaceX is developing the Starship system to be a fully-reusable two-stage launch vehicle, intended to replace all of its other launch vehicles and spacecraft for satellite delivery and human transport—Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Dragon—and eventually support flights to the Moon and Mars. It could theoretically be used for point-to-point transportation on Earth.[9]

  1. ^ Simberg, Rand (February 8, 2012). "Elon Musk on SpaceX's Reusable Rocket Plans". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "SpaceX Not Planning to Upgrade Falcon 9 Second Stage". November 17, 2018. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference sn20170330 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference sir-20170626 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Sesnic, Trevor; Fletcher, Colin; Kanayama, Lee (May 8, 2021). "SpaceX flies historic 10th mission of a Falcon 9 as Starlink constellation expands". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference sn20141024 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference nsf20160927 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference nsf20140307 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Musk, Elon (March 1, 2018). "Making Life Multi-Planetary". New Space. 6 (1): 2–11. Bibcode:2018NewSp...6....2M. doi:10.1089/space.2018.29013.emu.