SpaceX has been pioneering in the realm of reusable rocket technology, particularly with their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters that routinely return to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. This achievement has been a game-changer for reducing costs and making space access more sustainable. However, when it comes to the upper stages of their rockets, SpaceX has taken a different approach than they have with their boosters. The upper stages of the Falcon 9 are currently not reusable, which SpaceX has acknowledged as a challenge for further lowering launch costs.
SpaceX’s next-generation rocket, Starship, aims to overcome this limitation. Starship is designed to be a fully reusable launch system, both its first stage, known as Super Heavy, and its second stage, which is the Starship vehicle itself. The company is focusing on achieving complete reuse of both stages, which would further reduce the cost of launching payloads into space. The development of this system is still ongoing, with numerous test flights conducted to refine the design.
Therefore, while SpaceX has not yet implemented full reusability for the upper stages in their currently operational rockets, their ongoing work with Starship indicates significant progress toward achieving this goal. This endeavor involves complex engineering challenges, such as thermal protection during re-entry and ensuring safe, controlled landings, which the company is actively working to solve.