Orbital rockets generate enough speed and power to send payloads into orbit around Earth, hence ‘orbital’. These orbits can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of miles above the surface. These rockets go orbital and never return intact.
The aerospace company, SpaceX, sent the first orbital rocket into space which returned back intact. This marks a critical milestone unheard of five years ago, could pave the way for a new era of spaceflight that runs on rockets that can fly more than once.
Reusable rockets drastically reduce the cost of spaceflight. A fleet of reusable rockets could be used to land on Mars to then launch astronauts off the Martian surface on their way back to Earth.
The next step for SpaceX is to refuel this exact rocket and become the first aerospace company in history to launch a used rocket back into space.
Source: Business Insider
