At 8:29 p.m. on December 21, SpaceX sent shockwaves through the aerospace community with the first landing of an orbital booster vehicle.  Instead of disintegrating after mission completion like most...

The story below, to some, is a familiar one. If so, please feel free to skip a few paragraphs ahead, but if not, read it slowly. Picture each description, each event as you go along. Believe me, it is...