First Controlled Vertical Landing of an Orbital-Class Launch Vehicle First Stage

Falcon 9 rocket

Landing Zone 1, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

On 21 December 2015, Falcon 9 delivered 11 communications satellites to orbit and its first stage returned to Landing Zone 1 for a controlled vertical landing. This was the first such landing after an orbital-class launch mission, not the first reuse or reflight.