SpaceX: Falcon 9 makes space flight history as the first ever recycled rocket launch

SpaceX has made history by successfully launching and landing a used rocket for the first time. The California-based company launched one of its 229-foot-tall two-stage Falcon 9 rockets at 23.27 BST last night, with the aim of recovering its first-stage booster. While rocket sent a telecommunications satellite into orbit, the first-stage booster detached itself from its payload minutes after launch, righting itself and safely landing on a drone ship floating on the Atlantic Ocean. The first-stage booster, described by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as the "most expensive part of the rocket", had previously been launched on 8 April last year. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.