Achieving Reusability and Navigating Launch Failures. Eric Berger reports that in December 2015, SpaceX demonstrated reusability with the successful launch and vertical landing of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust at Landing Zone 1. The launch utilized densified propellant, requiring a tight launch window. The risky landing involved the Air Force approving a rocket with fuel returning over expensive real estate, despite concerns from groups like the National Reconnaissance Office. However, three weeks before his Mars speech, the Amos 6 satellite was violently destroyed during fueling in September 2016. Elon Musk favored an unfounded "sniper theory" to explain this failure. Guest: Eric Berger.