China is reportedly finalizing a plan to use parachutes to better control falling side boosters, but it's a limited solution to a larger problem.
From tiny portable launch vehicles to gigantic reusable megarockets, the future of rocketry looks exceptionally bright.
If the 110-foot-tall rocket successfully lifts off on Saturday afternoon, it will become the largest 3D-printed structure to ever take flight.
This is what 8.8 million pounds of thrust really looks like.
The private company is hoping to not drop it immediately afterwards this time.
Whether it's to deliver satellites to orbit or astronauts to the Moon, the next generation of rockets are poised make space more accessible.
Inspired by SpaceX, the U.S. startup is hoping to reuse its Electron rocket boosters to reduce launch costs.
The pilots managed to capture the falling first stage but chose to release it after noticing funky "load characteristics."
The Electron rocket could blast off as early as 6:41 p.m. ET Monday, with the attempted booster catch happening shortly thereafter.
The rocket booster will hopefully fall into the arms of a large helicopter.
It's a cosmic case of mistaken identity, and we can thank a NASA scientist for noticing that the Moon-bound booster wasn't from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Our final view of the doomed booster will be made available tomorrow during a live webcast.
The upper stage spent nine days in a deteriorating orbit after a failed engine burn.
