Book 8, Question 95
Why Are Reusable Rockets a Big Deal?
Reusable rockets are a big deal because landing and flying boosters again cuts cost and waste! More flights mean more science and more chances to explore. Before, rockets were thrown away after one trip.
More fun facts
- A rocket booster costs tens of millions of dollars to build.
- Elon Musk compared throwing one away to throwing away a jumbo jet after just one flight.
- Reusing the most expensive parts of a rocket brings down the cost of getting to space.
- SpaceX's Falcon 9 is the world's first reusable rocket able to reach orbit.
- About ten years after a Falcon 9 booster first landed, other countries, including China, are racing to build reusable rockets too.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, NASA, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Why reuse a rocket?
Rockets are very expensive, so flying the same parts again makes space travel cheaper.