Breaking News: SpaceX Finally Re-lands Falcon 9 Rocket On Ocean Barge

Fifth Time's The Charm

Elon Musk has had a pretty good week. After four unsuccessful attempts to land one of its rockets on a floating drone platform, SpaceX finally nailed a perfect landing this afternoon. The Falcon 9 rocket launch was part of the company's CRS-8 mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. The haul includes the highly anticipated Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, an inflatable habitat that may one day be used as a space hotel.

The launch occurred at 4:43 pm EST, and was live streamed to hundreds of thousands around the world. The re-landing happened moments later, when the first stage of the rocket touched down on a droneship called "Of Course, I Still Love You." It went off without a hitch. The event marks a major milestone for space travel and technology, and will undoubtedly usher in a new era of cheaper, reusable rockets. Watch the historic landing below.