--- title: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket: See Launch and Re-Entry In One Photo description: A single long-exposure image captures a pivotal moment in space flight. canonical: https://time.com/4158243/spacex-photo-falcon-9-rocket-launch-photo/ author: Joanna Plucinska article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-22T03:21:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:44.058Z article:section: Science og:title: See The SpaceX Falcon 9 Voyage Captured In One Photo og:description: A single long-exposure image shows the operation from launch to landing og:url: https://time.com/4158243/spacex-photo-falcon-9-rocket-launch-photo/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt25961fb3039c6f7d/698876738e060172fa463df6/cwy59kaukaevbla.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 600 og:image:height: 338 og:image:alt: CWy59kAUkAEvBLa og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See The SpaceX Falcon 9 Voyage Captured In One Photo twitter:description: A single long-exposure image shows the operation from launch to landing twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt25961fb3039c6f7d/698876738e060172fa463df6/cwy59kaukaevbla.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Take Off and Return to Earth In One Photo > Sponsored content. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Land [Watch (HLS stream): Watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Land](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/udsit1bp.m3u8) (1:04)  _Published 2015-12-22. The landing was the first of its kind_ by [Joanna Plucinska](https://time.com/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Dec 22, 2015 3:21 AM UTC  SpaceX by [Joanna Plucinska](https://time.com/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Dec 22, 2015 3:21 AM UTC Monday’s[ SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch](http://time.com/4156402/spacex-launch-falcon-9-rocket/) in Cape Canaveral, Fla. was an historic event, and this long-exposure photo shows the entire operation in all of it’s glory. The snap, shared by [SpaceX](https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/679122112196382720) on Twitter, shows the rocket launching, re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and successfully landing on solid ground, marking the historic process. [It was the first time](http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/21/10640306/spacex-elon-musk-rocket-landing-success) the company’s orbital rocket successfully completed a stable earth landing—making the vehicle reusable, which will be crucial if the cost of space flight is to be reduced. The previous version of the rocket [exploded minutes after take-off in June](http://time.com/4156402/spacex-launch-falcon-9-rocket/). 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