SpaceX successfully lands rocket in middle of ocean

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  • Falcon 9

    Falcon 9

    SpaceX successfully landed an unmanned rocket onto a floating platform in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX's landing took place on Friday when it sent the Falcon 9 to the International Space Station.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • Lift off

    Lift off

    The launch took place in Cape Canaveral, Florida and was the first successful SpaceX launch to the ISS since its failed resupply mission in June 2015.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • Supplies

    Supplies

    The Falcon 9 rocket took the Dragon cargo spacecraft to the ISS with 7,000 pounds of supplies. The Dragon cargo spacecraft will stay with the ISS until May and will bring several biological samples back to earth.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • Unmanned

    Unmanned

    SpaceX will be flying similar missions until 2024, per a contract with Nasa. All of SpaceX's capsules are unmanned.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • Headed to ISS

    Headed to ISS

    SpaceX streams all of its rocket launches to interested space fanatics.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • No, this rocket isn't taking off. It's landing

    No, this rocket isn't taking off. It's landing

    Now that SpaceX successfully landed a rocket both in the ocean and on land, it can potentially reduce its costs exponentially by recycling the rockets after they're propelled.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • Smooth landing

    Smooth landing

    Four other attempts ended in the rocket exploding.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

  • Bingo

    Bingo

    SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell said the retrieval of the "first stage" -- aka rocket -- could mean 30 percent savings for the space travel company.

    Photo by: Flickr / SpaceX

    Caption by: Jake Smith

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After several failed attempts, SpaceX made a historic rocket landing in the middle of the ocean that could mean huge savings for commercial space travel.

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Falcon 9

SpaceX successfully landed an unmanned rocket onto a floating platform in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX's landing took place on Friday when it sent the Falcon 9 to the International Space Station.

Caption by: Jake Smith

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