Landing from helo https://t.co/dYomRtG0Xs

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 22, 2015

The landing is a huge victory for Musk and his team, who were sidelined after the explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket in June as it carried the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.

Last month, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin successfully launched a rocket to a test altitude of 329,839 feet and then landed it near the launch pad in Texas.

ABC News' Erin Dooley contributed to this report.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Technology/spacex-rocket-landing-giant-leap-space-travel/story?id=35904496","legacySlug":"/news/story/spacex-rocket-landing-giant-leap-space-travel-35904496","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"15:15","publishDate":"12-22-2015","updatedTime":"15:35","updatedDate":"12-22-2015","socialImage":{"alt":"A remodeled version of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the launcher's first mission since a June failure in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Dec. 21, 2015.","credit":"Joe Skipper/Reuters","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Technology/rtr_spacex_rocket_01_jc_151222_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/22/2015 15:15:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":35904496,"headline":"Why SpaceX Rocket Landing Is Giant Leap for Space Travel","mediaAssetTitle":"NEWCOMB_SpaceX_Landing_151222","description":"Elon Musk's team successfully recycled a rocket. ","duration":"1:28","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/12/151222_gma_spacex_wright_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137841142","137841141","137803591"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"November 4, 2026","headline":"Alaska still too early to call","section":"News","slug":"/video/137841142","id":"137841142","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Alaska still too early to call","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Alaska still too early to call","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"November 4, 2026","headline":"History made in Kansas Senate race","section":"News","slug":"/video/137841141","id":"137841141","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: History made in Kansas Senate race","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: History made in Kansas Senate race","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"November 3, 2026","headline":"New states in play as record gas prices hit on Election Day","section":"News","slug":"/video/137803591","id":"137803591","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: New states in play as record gas prices hit on Election Day","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: New states in play as record gas prices hit on Election Day","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Why SpaceX Rocket Landing Is Giant Leap for Space Travel","description":"Elon Musk's team successfully recycled a rocket. ","duration":"1:28","uploadDate":"12-22-2015","publication":"12-22-2015","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/12/151222_gma_spacex_wright_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/12/151222_gma_spacex_wright_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/spacex-rocket-landing-giant-leap-space-travel-35904496"}},"playlist":[{"id":"138024523","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137979832","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137976484","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137958306","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137912305","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137885086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137853814","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137841842","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137680927","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137443017","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137471181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137220313","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137234817","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Why SpaceX Rocket Landing Is Giant Leap for Space Travel","pubTime":"10:15","pubDate":"12-22-2015","modTime":"10:35","modDate":"12-22-2015","taxonomyTags":"none","id":35904496,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Why SpaceX Rocket Landing Is Giant Leap for Space Travel","mediaAssetTitle":"NEWCOMB_SpaceX_Landing_151222","videoId":35904496,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/spacex-rocket-landing-giant-leap-space-travel-35904496"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/35904496","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/35904496","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};