Ramona Adams
NASA has approved SpaceX‘s plan to use a previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket booster on the company’s next cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, SpaceNews reported Thursday.
Sam Scimemi, ISS director at NASA, said at a NASA Advisory Council committee meeting that the Dragon spacecraft for SpaceX’s 13th resupply mission will lift-off on Dec. 8 atop a Falcon 9 rocket with a reused first stage from the 11th mission.
Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, noted that NASA conducted a “detailed review” of SpaceX’s process for reusing boosters through the agency’s Launch Services Program and ISS program.
He added that the agency will evaluate previously-flown stages on a case-by-case basis in the future.
