20 Years Ago: Novel DC-X Reusable Rocket Launched Into History (2024)

FAQs

20 Years Ago: Novel DC-X Reusable Rocket Launched Into History? ›

20 Years Ago: Novel DC-X Reusable Rocket Launched Into History. Nearly 20 years ago to the date, a pioneering reusable spacecraft called the Delta Clipper Experimental, or DC-X, made its first test flight — a low, 59-second hop over New Mexico's White Sands Space Harbor.

Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, designed, manufactured and launched by American aerospace company SpaceX. It can also be used as an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle. The first Falcon 9 launch was on 4 June 2010.

The first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, would be the first time NASA performed a crewed first-flight of a spacecraft. On April 12, 1981, the Space Shuttle launched for the first time, and was piloted by John Young and Robert Crippen.

India's first Reusable Launch Vehicle, this is ISRO's very own 'Pushpak' viman. ISRO has successfully carried out the landing mission of its Reusable Launch Vehicle named 'Pushpak'. Inspired from the Ramayana's 'pushpak viman', this can make space travel more affordable and sustainable.

Meet New Shepard

All rockets take off; not all rockets land. Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, New Shepard is Blue Origin's fully reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight from the beginning.

The economic benefits of reusable launch vehicles are considerable. Using a reusable rocket over a traditional rocket can be up to 65% cheaper.

Falcon 9. Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon 9 is the world's first orbital class reusable rocket.

Columbia disaster, breakup of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Columbia on February 1, 2003. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts on board just minutes before it was to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986. The disaster claimed the lives of seven astronauts.

As of May 2020, the only operational reusable orbital-class launch systems are the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, the latter of which is based upon the Falcon 9. SpaceX is also developing the fully reusable Starship launch system.

What is an example of a reusable rocket? ›

Examples of reusable spacecraft are spaceplanes (such as the Space Shuttle orbiters and the Dream Chaser) and space capsules like the SpaceX Dragon. Such spacecraft need mechanisms to prevent the disintegration of the spacecraft and its occupants/cargo during reentry.

Owned by Elon Musk, SpaceX is one of the world's most valuable start-ups. The space company provides launch services and owns the valuable satellite internet start-up Starlink. SpaceX is growing its revenue rapidly and on a profitable trajectory.

The Space Shuttle was the world's first reusable spacecraft, and the first spacecraft in history that can carry large satellites both to and from orbit. The Shuttle launches like a rocket, maneuvers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft and lands like an airplane.

NASA's Columbia orbiter launches skyward on April 12, 1981 on NASA's first-ever shuttle flight, STS-1. Commanding the 54-hour mission was astronaut veteran John Young with then-rookie flyer Robert Crippen as pilot. (Image credit: NASA.) NASA's space shuttle was the world's first reusable spacecraft.

Blue Origin later revealed that the cause of the failure was a problem with the engine nozzle, a large cone that directs the flaming exhaust at the rocket's bottom. Onboard computers accurately detected the failure and shut the engine down, according to the company.

Starship is designed to be fully reusable, and SpaceX plans to land and relaunch its Super Heavy boosters, as it does with its Falcon 9 rockets.

Are the Saturn V rocket's parts reusable? No, the Saturn V was a fully expendable rocket system. Once every part of the rocket had done its job, it was jettisoned, and either crashed into the ocean or burned up.

The mishap occurred on Falcon 9's 354th mission. It was the first Falcon 9 failure since 2016, when a rocket exploded on a launch pad in Florida and destroyed its customer payload, an Israeli communications satellite.

Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.