SpaceX Successfully Lands Rocket After Launch

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully landed upright on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, Fla., this evening, after traveling into space and back. It’s the first time SpaceX has been able to gently touch down the Falcon 9 post-launch — something the company has been trying to do for the past year. It’s a big first step toward reusable rockets.

This launch was also the first time SpaceX has flown since June, after one of its Falcon 9 rockets exploded en route to the International Space Station. Now this return-to-flight mission has made history — no one else has ever landed a rocket that has gone as deep into space as the Falcon 9.

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This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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