SpaceX to recover rockets using ‘giant party balloon’

Elon Musk’s ‘crazy’ plan aims to reduce substantial cost of space travel

SpaceX Falcon 9
SpaceX currently recovers only the main booster stages of its Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets
(Image credit: Bill Ingalls/Nasa via Getty Images)

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has revealed that his company will attempt to recover sections of its rockets using a “giant party balloon”.

Speaking to his 21 million fans on Twitter, Musk said the balloon will be used to slow down the rocket’s upper stage, which propels the payload once in space, when it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere after completing its mission.

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