Reusable rockets help to reduce the cost of space travel. And that meant they were only used once, while production costs are astronomical. Even rockets that returned to earth were so badly damaged from their re-entry to the atmosphere that they were no longer usable. In the past, rockets have either remained in space after a mission or plunged into the ocean. This year, SpaceX used the very first reusable rocket from 2015 for the first time for a new mission. Since then, the rockets have been returning in one piece more often. In 2015, SpaceX managed for the first time to get the Falcon 9 to land again after launch. In roughly one month, the Dragon will return to earth with a payload of over 1600 kilograms. The Dragon arrived at its destination earlier this week, with astronauts using a robot arm to dock the capsule with the space station. After the launch, Falcon 9 returned successfully to a SpaceX landing site, while the Dragon completed its trajectory to the international space station. The spacecraft comprises a Falcon 9 rocket and a Dragon space capsule, both of which have been used in previous missions. One example is NASA's Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor, which measures how much energy the sun emits. The payload of this spacecraft weighs some 2000 kg, and includes important necessities for the 250+ scientific studies taking place in the international space station. The purpose of this mission is to restock the international space station. On Friday 15 December, SpaceX launched a reused rocket and space capsule together for the first time from Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida.
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