Why SpaceX lands its rockets back on Earth after blasting them to space

SpaceX doesn't land its rockets back on Earth just because it looks cool.

Their real motive is simple: Cost.

Traditionally, rocket companies only use their rockets once, effectively wasting hardware that cost millions of dollars to build after just one use. These spent rockets are destined to either become space debris or fall back through Earth's atmosphere and burn up, leaving the charred leftovers to plummet into the ocean.  

SEE ALSO: Thousands of SpaceX Starlink satellites could pose 'unprecedented' space junk problem

But SpaceX isn't into that model. 

The Elon Musk-founded company landed its first Falcon 9 booster back on Earth in 2015, after years of development. In March 2017, SpaceX successfully relaunched a used rocket into space and then landed the expensive equipment back on Earth.  Read more...

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