SpaceX successfully launched a Japanese communications satellite to orbit early Sunday morning.
The private space company launched a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral early Sunday morning, sending the satellite to a high, geostationary transfer orbit -- that’s an orbit that allows the satellite to remain focused on one spot back on Earth.
After sending the satellite on its way, SpaceX landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket at sea on a drone ship called “Of Course I Still Love You."
Last month, SpaceX recovered a booster at a landing facility at Cape Canaveral.
The private space company hopes to reuse the boosters and lower the cost of sending payloads to space. Although the company has yet to launch a reused booster, it’s testing a recovered first stage at a facility in Texas with the hopes of launching one later this year.
