By Frank Pompa, Ramon Padilla, Mitchell Thorson USA TODAY

March 30, 2017

SpaceX will attempt to make history Thursday night by reusing a rocket booster. The Falcon 9 rocket will deliver a communications satellite into orbit using a first-stage system that they used nearly a year ago. Heres a look at SpaceXs feat to launch and land the system back on Earth.

The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket used to transport satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit.

Aluminum-lithium alloy tanks fuel nine Merlin engines with liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant, generating more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust.

The main engines are cutoff as Falcon 9 nears the edge of Earths atmosphere.The total burn time from launch is 162 seconds.

Once beyond Earths atmopshere, the pneumatic stage separation system releases the first stage from the second stage. A single Merlin engine fires, propelling stage two into orbit.

The fairing separates from the second stage,exposing the satellite. Merlin engines ignite on the first stage, setting it on a trajectory for the landing site.

The second stage releases the satellite into a predetermined orbit.

The first stage undergoes a flip maneuver using onboard cold gas thrusters. When complete, it is positioned with engines forward.

The first stage grid fins deploy and engines do a temporary burn to slow it down. The grid fins will steer stage one as it enters Earths atmosphere.

Landing legs deploy and engines light a final time to land the first stage safely on a designated landing platform.

Source: SpaceX

Follow this link:
Anatomy of a SpaceX launch - USA TODAY