With latest SpaceX launch, Musk says he has ‘all pieces of the puzzle’ for reusable rocket

This Sunday saw a successful launch from SpaceX’s latest prototype, a newly modified Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket boasts a large power advantage over previous models, thanks to a new nine-engine propulsion layout, which helped the rocket to deliver four satellites into low-earth orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk called particular attention to the rocket booster, which relit twice during the flight. It’s also SpaceX’s first launch from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, an important site for the early-‘60s space program.

The launch also represents an important step for SpaceX, especially combined with recent successes from the self-landing Grasshopper rocket. As Musk said in a post-launch tweet, “between this flight & Grasshopper tests, I think we now have all the pieces of the puzzle to bring the rocket back home.”