Reusable launch vehicle facts for kids

The first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket after it landed safely back on Earth.

A reusable launch vehicle is a rocket that has parts that can be used more than once. After launching a payload (like a satellite or astronauts) into outer space, some parts of the rocket return to Earth, get fixed up, and are flown again. This is a huge change from older rockets, where the entire rocket was thrown away after just one use.

The biggest parts that are reused are the large rocket stages, especially the first stage booster. By reusing these expensive parts, companies can save a lot of money on space launches. Think of it like using a reusable water bottle instead of buying a new plastic one every day.

To make a rocket reusable, engineers have to solve some tricky problems. The returning parts need to survive a fiery trip back through the Earth's atmosphere. They often have special heat shields to protect them. They also need systems to steer and slow down, like fins, parachutes, or even using their own rocket engines for a soft landing.

The idea of reusable rockets was popular in science fiction for a long time. The first real one was the Space Shuttle in the 1980s. Today, companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin have made reusable rockets a common sight, with rockets like the Falcon 9 and New Shepard landing regularly. This technology is making spaceflight cheaper and more accessible than ever before.

How Do Reusable Rockets Work?

Rockets can be either partially or fully reusable. Understanding the difference helps to see how this amazing technology works.

Partially Reusable Rockets

This is the most common type of reusable rocket flying today. In a partially reusable system, only some parts of the rocket are recovered. Usually, this is the first stage, which is the largest and most expensive part of the rocket.

After the first stage booster uses up its fuel, it separates from the rest of the rocket and begins its journey back to Earth. The second stage continues to push the payload into orbit. The booster then uses its engines and fins to steer itself to a landing spot, either on a landing pad on the ground or on a special ship at sea.

The Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets are famous examples of this. They have successfully landed and reflown their first-stage boosters hundreds of times.

Fully Reusable Rockets

A fully reusable rocket is the ultimate goal for many space companies. In this system, every part of the rocket is designed to be recovered and used again. This includes the first stage booster and the upper stage that carries the payload.

Achieving this is very difficult because the upper stage travels much faster and higher, making its return to Earth much more challenging.

SpaceX is developing a fully reusable rocket called Starship. It is made of two parts: the Super Heavy booster (the first stage) and the Starship spacecraft (the second stage). Both are designed to land back on Earth and be prepared for another flight. Starship has completed several test flights, successfully landing both the booster and the ship.

How Do Rockets Land Safely?

Getting a rocket back to Earth in one piece is a major challenge. Engineers use several clever methods to make it happen.

Surviving the Fiery Re-entry

When a rocket part falls back from space, it hits the atmosphere at incredibly high speeds. This creates a huge amount of friction and heat, enough to melt metal. To survive, rockets use a heat shield.

A heat shield is a protective layer that can handle extreme temperatures. Some are made of special tiles that absorb and block heat, like on the Space Shuttle. Others, like on the Starship, use stainless steel and a system that "sweats" fuel to cool the ship down.

Landing Methods

Once a rocket is through the hottest part of re-entry, it needs to slow down for a soft landing.

Parachutes and Airbags

Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne was a reusable spacecraft that landed like a plane.

This is one of the oldest and most reliable methods. Large parachutes open up to slow the vehicle down. This is how astronaut capsules like the SpaceX Dragon and the Russian Soyuz land. Sometimes, small rockets fire just before touchdown for an extra soft landing, or airbags inflate to cushion the impact.

Wings and Runways

Some reusable vehicles are designed like airplanes. They have wings that allow them to glide through the air and land horizontally on a runway. The most famous example is the Space Shuttle orbiter. This method allows for a very gentle landing but requires the vehicle to have heavy wings and landing gear.

Vertical Rocket-Powered Landing

Two boosters from a Falcon Heavy rocket landing at the same time.

This is the most modern and visually spectacular method. The rocket stage flips around and fires its own engines in a "landing burn" to slow down and land gently on its own landing legs. This is called a VTVL (Vertical Takeoff, Vertical Landing).

The Falcon 9 boosters are famous for their VTVL landings. This method requires precise computer control and extra fuel for the landing burn.

A Quick History of Reusable Rockets

The McDonnell Douglas DC-X was an early prototype that tested vertical landing in the 1990s.

The dream of reusable rockets has been around for a long time, but making it a reality took decades of work.

The Space Shuttle Era

In 1981, NASA launched the first reusable spacecraft, the Space Shuttle. It was a groundbreaking vehicle. The airplane-like orbiter could fly to space and land on a runway, and its two solid rocket boosters could be recovered from the ocean using parachutes. However, its large orange external fuel tank was thrown away on every mission.

The Shuttle flew for 30 years, carrying astronauts and building the International Space Station. The program showed that reusability was possible, but it was also very complex and expensive. Sadly, two missions, Challenger and Columbia, ended in accidents where the shuttles and their crews were lost. The program was retired in 2011.

A New Era of Reusability

In the 2000s and 2010s, private companies began to take the lead. The Ansari X Prize competition in 2004 encouraged this, and was won by SpaceShipOne, a reusable suborbital spaceplane.

The biggest breakthrough came from SpaceX. They developed the Falcon 9 rocket with a first stage designed for vertical landing. After many tests, they successfully landed a booster for the first time in 2015. Since then, they have made rocket reuse a routine part of spaceflight.

Other companies like Blue Origin with its New Shepard rocket and Rocket Lab with its Electron rocket have also developed their own reusable systems, starting a new and exciting chapter in space exploration.

List of Famous Reusable Launch Vehicles

Here are some of the most important reusable rockets, both past and present.

Company	Vehicle	Reusable Part	First Launch	Status
NASA	Space Shuttle	Orbiter & Side Boosters	1981	Retired (2011)
SpaceX	Falcon 9	First Stage & Fairing	2010	Active
Rocket Lab	Electron	First Stage	2017	Active, reflight planned
SpaceX	Falcon Heavy	3 First Stage Cores & Fairing	2018	Active
SpaceX	Starship	Fully Reusable (Booster & Ship)	2023	In development
United Launch Alliance	Vulcan Centaur	First stage engines	2024	Active, recovery planned
Blue Origin	New Glenn	First stage	2025	Active
Rocket Lab	Neutron	First stage (includes fairing)	2025	Planned

List of Famous Reusable Spacecraft

These are vehicles that carry people or cargo in space and can be reused. They are often launched on top of another rocket.

Company	Spacecraft	Launch Vehicle	First Launch	Status
NASA	Space Shuttle orbiter	Space Shuttle	1981	Retired (2011)
NPO-Energia	Buran	Energia	1988	Retired (1988)
Boeing	X-37	Atlas V, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy	2010	Active
SpaceX	Dragon	Falcon 9	2010	Active
Boeing	Starliner	Atlas V	2019	Active
Sierra Space	Dream Chaser	Vulcan Centaur	2025	Planned

See also

• Reusable spacecraft
• SpaceX reusable launch system development program
• List of private spaceflight companies
• Takeoff and landing