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Elon Musk Wants SpaceX To Relaunch Rockets In 24 Hours With 100% Reusability

SpaceX Falcon 9.SpaceX/Wikimedia

One of the biggest challenges to regular space flight was recently overcome by SpaceX when it successfully sent a used rocket to deliver a satellite into space. Granted, some parts were new, but Elon Musk is already having his engineers work on that. On top of his goal of 24-hour reusability, the trailblazer also wants to make Falcon 9 rockets completely reusable by 2018.

There’s no doubt that what SpaceX achieved by sending a used rocket into space is revolutionary. However, there is still much to be done. In a Tweet that he sent right after the historic launch and retrieval of a used Falcon 9, Musk announced that the next goal is a 24-hour relaunch. This is basically where SpaceX sends a used rocket a day after its previous launch.

If SpaceX can actually achieve a daily launch of its used rockets without a hitch, it would revolutionize space travel in a big way. No longer will companies wait for months on end before another rocket is completed that will then send their next satellites into orbit. The same goes for astronauts who are stuck in space in part due to the long stretch of time before new rockets are launched to retrieve them.

On top of actually turning space travel into a system resembling regular aircraft flights, Musk also wants to make all of the Falcon 9 rocket parts reusable sometime next year, Fortune reports. This would go a long way towards making SpaceX profitable since analysts estimate that a reusable first stage part already has the potential to reduce costs by 20 percent while boosting profitability by up to 50 percent.

If SpaceX actually manages to make each of its rockets 100 percent reusable with a 24-hour launch cycle, the company would quickly claim the biggest chunk of the spaceflight sector. This would effectively make it the most profitable space company in the world.

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