Elon Musk’s SpaceX made history on Tuesday after launching a rocket into space from Florida and landing its Falcon 9 rocket booster in the Bahamas.
SpaceX’s rocket launch mission marked the first time a Falcon 9 landed on a drone ship off the coast of the Bahamas, according to a report by Fox 35 Orlando.
“Falcon 9 lands off the coast of The Bahamas for the first time! Welcome to space @VisitTheBahamas!” Musk’s company declared in a Tuesday X post, sharing video footage of the booster landing.
Falcon 9 lands off the coast of The Bahamas for the first time! Welcome to space @VisitTheBahamas! pic.twitter.com/eidTYL5PYv
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 18, 2025
The Falcon 9’s first stage booster reportedly landed on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship off the coast of Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean, nearly eight minutes after it blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
SpaceX reportedly said its Falcon 9 was able to maximize its performance by landing in the Bahamas after launching into a southeast trajectory from Florida.
The company further explained that launching toward the southeast allowed it to send additional satellites into orbit, as well as make it so that the rockets can launch human spaceflight missions to explore Earth, Fox 35 Orlando reported.
“This is the first time that a rocket has taken off from one country, gone to space and landed in another country!” Musk proclaimed in a Tuesday X post.
This is the first time that a rocket has taken off from one country, gone to space and landed in another country! https://t.co/uh2L66VboM
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 18, 2025
The SpaceX CEO was replying to an X post by internet personality Mario Nawfal, who exclaimed, “THE BAHAMAS JUST LEVELED UP — WELCOME TO THE SPACE AGE.”
“The Bahamas is now a player in the space game,” Nawfal declared. “For the first time, a Falcon 9 rocket booster will land in Exuma Sound, a deep-water basin perfect for rocket recovery.”
“Not bad for a country best known for crystal-clear beaches,” he continued.
“This isn’t just a flex — it’s a game-changer,” Nawfal added. “Exuma Sound’s deep waters and ideal location make it the perfect spot for safe landings, supporting future crewed missions (maybe even the first polar orbit crew flight) and opening doors for Bahamian students to get involved in aerospace.”
“Tourism? That’s old news. The Bahamas is now officially launching into the future,” he further asserted.
On Tuesday, the Falcon 9 booster reportedly helped deliver another 23 Starlink satellites into orbit before returning to Earth.
SpaceX also said that the company plans to send more than 40,000 satellites into orbit in the near future.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
