So
Elon Musk and
SpaceX suggest that they sent up a
Falcon 9 rocket in space at a certain time the other day and that its
first, nine engines stage transported the second stage to 80 000 m altitude after 150 seconds, where the seconds stage took off into space, etc.
The
first stage also continued upwards to 200 000 m altitude into space by its own momentum, they suggest, but then it dropped down from there and landed more or less where it had started 435 seconds later. To do so the
first stage performed a backwards loop - total trajectory >350 000 m, at very high speed during 435 seconds.
To change direction back to where it started
Boost back burns were done by the rocket engines and to stop the drop to enable the first stage to slow down and land an
Entry burn and a
Landing burn were also done. But it was not enough!
Hypersonic grid fins were deployed from the
first stage to reduce speed and steer it back to ground.
I have never experienced so much nonsense in so short time ... live on TV ... lately. I describe more at
http://heiwaco.com/moontravel.htm#F9 .