In Photos: SpaceX Launches, Lands 1st Reused Falcon 9 Rocket

Falcon 9 and SES-10 Rise Into the Sky

SpaceX

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and the SES-10 communications satellite rise into the sky above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 30, 2017.

Falcon 9 and SES-10 Blast Off

SpaceX

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launches the SES-10 communications satellite on March 30, 2017. The liftoff was the first ever to use a previously flown Falcon 9 first stage.

Falcon 9 Flies

The Falcon 9's "flight-proven" first stage carries it across the sky, gaining altitude before handing off to the second stage.

First Stage Separates

The Falcon 9 rocket releases its first stage, which begins to head back to Earth. (You can see the stage on the left of the righthand image.)

First Stage Coming Home

Falcon 9's first stage navigates back down.

Used Falcon 9 First Stage Lands Again

SpaceX

The first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket comes in for a landing on a robotic "drone ship" on March 30, 2017 — the second successful landing for the booster, which also touched down during an orbital mission in April 2016.

X Marks the Spot for Falcon 9 1st Stage

SpaceX

X marks the spot for a used Falcon 9 first stage, which made its second drone-ship landing on March 30, 2017.

Falcon 9 First Stage Nearly There

SpaceX

The used Falcon 9 first stage just before making history with its second landing.

Falcon 9 Lands on Drone Ship

SpaceX

The used first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket settles onto the deck of the "drone ship" Of Course I Still Love You on March 30, 2017.

Falcon 9 First Stage Has Landed

SpaceX

The Falcon 9's first stage successfully touched down on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You."

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.