Will Carry SES SA Satellite Into Orbit By The End Of March

SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell says that the company plans to launch its first previously-flown rocked on a revenue mission by the end of March.

The mission would mark a significant milestone for the company, which sees the reusability of boosters as a key to bringing down the cost of launches. The planned mission would use a Falcon 9 booster that has already carried a satellite into space to launch a satellite from Luxembourg’s SES SA.

Bloomberg News reports that Shotwell announced the mission at a recent satellite conference in Washington, D.C. She added that there are five more launches using previously-flown boosters planned by the end of the year.

At that same conference, Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said that space tourism is the future of space travel. Companies will be able to hone their launch capabilities using recycled boosters, and adopt a business model that is similar to commercial airlines. "If the airline throws (the airplane) away at the end of every trip, very few people are going to be able to afford to take that vacation," Bezos said.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.spacex.com, www.blueorigin.com