FAA to grant Space Exploration Technologies Corp. a reusable rocket launch license

SpaceX to launch from U.S. soil

Reusable rockets could slash spaceflight prices

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it will grant a launch license to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. for its reusable Falcon rocket, clearing the way for the first orbital launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk plans to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., as early as this summer. The rocket will carry a Dragon capsule filled with cargo to the International Space Station.

The FAA license is a major milestone for SpaceX, which has been developing the Falcon 9 and Dragon for years. The company hopes to revolutionize spaceflight by making it cheaper and more reliable. The Falcon 9 is designed to be reusable, which could slash the cost of space launches by up to 90%.

The FAA's decision to grant SpaceX a launch license is a sign of confidence in the company's technology. The agency has been carefully reviewing SpaceX's plans for years, and it is satisfied that the company has met all of the safety requirements.

The launch license is a major victory for Musk, who has long dreamed of making spaceflight more accessible. He has said that he wants to make it possible for people to travel to Mars, and he believes that SpaceX's reusable rockets are the key to making that happen.

The launch license is also a major step forward for the U.S. space program. The United States has not launched a single astronaut into orbit since the space shuttle program was retired in 2011. SpaceX's Falcon 9 could help to fill that gap, and it could also pave the way for a new era of space exploration.