The SpaceX first-stage Falcon 9 booster rocket returned safely to Earth early Monday morning.
The Falcon 9 Dragon spacecraft was launched about 12:45 a.m. Monday from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Minutes later, the booster rocket was screaming back to Earth faster than the speed of sound, which caused a sonic boom, NASA officials said.
The rocket landed safely at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
“The stage one came back to land, and if you missed the sonic boom, it’s right there at Landing Complex 1,” vice president of flight reliability for SpaceX Hans Koenigsmann said.
Monday’s landing was only the second time that a SpaceX booster rocket touched down successfully on land. The first was last December, NASA said.
Along with supplies for the International Space Station, the Dragon spacecraft was carrying the first of two docking adapters that will allow manned SpaceX craft to link up with the facility, NASA said.
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Wednesday.
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