#4/ Ability to Launch Reused Rockets Will Push Val
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The company's initiative to reuse rockets for supply launches will have the biggest impact on SpaceX's valuation down the road.
On Thursday, March 30, SpaceX became the first aerospace company ever to successfully launch a used rocket into space and land it back on Earth. This was historic because every previous rocket that entered orbit was either unrecovered or completely destroyed.
"A fully reusable vehicle has never been done before," CEO Elon Musk said on the company website. "That really is the fundamental breakthrough needed to revolutionize access to space."
Being able to reuse rockets gives SpaceX a massive edge on peers like Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos. SpaceX said it's considering giving discounts of up to 30% on supply launches that use reusable rockets, a move that will certainly to draw more customers. It will also help the firm save tons of money that likely would've been used on building more Falcon 9 rockets.
But the reusable rocket initiative will have the largest impact on Musk's plan to colonize Mars. If he intends to start sending rounds of people to the Red Planet by 2022, the company will need to reuse as many Falcon 9 rockets as possible to make the mission financially possible.
Fortune: SpaceX Plans to Start Launching Rockets Every Two to Three Weeks
https://moneymorning.com/2017/04/18/massive-s...2-factors/