The Falcon Has Landed

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

On April 8, 2016, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station for NASA, then attempted to land on a drone ship at sea. See photos from the private spaceflight in our gallery here. THIS VIEW: SpaceX's Falcon 9 stands triumphant on its drone ship landing pad after touching down on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX CRS-8 Mission First Stage Landing

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

The resuable first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lands on a floating barge after launching a cargo capsule to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX CRS-8 Mission First Stage Landing

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage lands on a floating barge after launching a cargo capsule to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX CRS-8 Mission First Stage Landing

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

The resuable first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lands on a floating barge after launching a cargo capsule to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX CRS-8 Mission First Stage Landing

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

The resuable first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lands on a floating barge after launching a cargo capsule to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX CRS-8 Mission First Stage Landing

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

The resuable first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lands on a floating barge after launching a cargo capsule to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 Rocket Coming Down on Drone Ship

SpaceX

The first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket comes in for a successful landing on a robotic drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean on April 8, 2016.

SpaceX Rocket After Drone Ship Landing

SpaceX

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands atop the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" after a successful landing in the Atlantic Ocean on April 8, 2016 in this view from a chase plane.

SpaceX CRS-8 Mission First Stage Landing

SpaceX (via Flickr as SpaceX Photos)

The resuable first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lands on a floating barge after launching a cargo capsule to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 8, 2016.

Liftoff!

SpaceX

SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched at 4:43 p.m. EDT from the company's launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Space Streak

SpaceX

The Falcon 9 streaks into space in this awesome long-exposure view from SpaceX's launch on April 8, 2016.