But, as always with Musk, there’s a business plan behind the technology. The most lucrative satellites are those that hang over one spot on earth in their geosynchronous orbits. Introducing reusability into that launch market is key to lowering the price and growing SpaceX’s market share. And, at a time when numerous companies are developing cheap solutions to launch satellites in to low-earth orbit, ensuring dominance at the highest of altitudes will insulate SpaceX from those competitors.

Besides rocket reusability—and its implications for a trip to Mars—the big 2016 goal for SpaceX is a steady launch tempo. Initially, the plan ran into trouble thanks to a new fueling system, but it appears the kinks have been sorted out. The company has so far launched four out of 18 launches expected by SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell.

This is the third first stage that SpaceX has landed, leading Musk to joke that he’ll need a bigger rocket storage hangar. But that also raises the question: When will one of these rockets be re-used?

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