SpaceX Falcon 9 Ninth Flight Successful; Sets New Record For Reusable Rockets

Out of the several projects under SpaceX, the continued development of reusable rockets has been one of the most important ones. SpaceX has continually vouched for enabling reusable rockets for its space missions. It looks like the private space agency has set a new record with the Falcon 9 rocket as it made its ninth flight, successfully.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Carries Starlink Satellites

The Sunday (March 14) flight carried 60 Starlink satellites aboard the Falcon 9 rocket as the company expands the internet service across the globe.

To note, SpaceX has sent three batches of 60 satellites each into space over the past two weeks. This brings in fresh 180 Starlink internet-beaming satellites into space, joining with thousands already in space. SpaceX presently has two more Starlink launches planned for this month, upping the number in the coming days.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/V3vn9PolF0

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2021

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Sets New Record

Looking back, SpaceX designed the Falcon 9 rockets to fly 10 times with little or no modification in between missions. The successful round trips for nine trips on the first-stage booster are noteworthy and important as they sync with the objectives when it was designed.

Space.com reports that SpaceX presently has two Falcon 9 rockets and both are close to completely 10 flights to space and back. Of course, the Elon Musk-owned company is closely monitoring the wear and tear of the rockets every time they take off.

What's more interesting is that the same Falcon 9 rocket that set a new record has also assisted in the launch of the Crew Dragon Demo-1 mission. The rocket has also played a crucial role in launching Canada's new Earth observation - RADARSAT Constellation Mission; the SXM-7; SiriusXM mission, which unfortunately failed; and five other Starlink missions.

How Many Flights Can Falcon 9 Take Up?

As noted, SpaceX has designed the Falcon 9 to complete at least 10 roundtrips to space. However, company officials and experts note that 10 might not be the 'magic number' for the Falcon 9 rockets. This means the Falcon 9 rockets can take more flights, pushing the reusable rocket trend further.

However, SpaceX will analyze the booster and assess whether it can move forward for more flights after the 10th trip. With several missions lined up, including the Starlink mission, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets will have a busy schedule ahead.

Reusing rockets is one of the most important parameters for SpaceX, especially as it ramps up the Starlink project. To note, the Starlink internet service is available in select regions across the world, including a few cities in India. Costing around Rs. 7,300, the Starlink internet service subscribers get a kit that includes a mountable dish antenna, a Wi-Fi router, power supply, and so on. As the company strives to send more satellites, reusable rockets help save costs and energy, something that's important for SpaceX.