It didn't travel to Mars, but the space transportation company, Blue Origin, successfully landed a suborbital rocket back at its launch site in west Texas.
The company, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said its reusable rocket soared to the edge of space at an altitude of over 300,000 feet, then landed safely back on earth. During the final stages of the approach, the rocket tilted from one side to the other but eventually made a vertical touchdown.
Bezos says once they're completely confident in the vehicle, they'll start taking people up into space. The rocket is designed for short adventures into space with six paying passengers. No word yet on the trip's price tag.
Instructional Links
Website: Blue Origin
Activity & PDF: Fetch! | Blast Off! Rocket Launcher
http://ideastream.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/arct14.sci.fbla/blast-off/
Video & Activity: DragonflyTV, Model Rockets
http://ideastream.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/a0897693-cded-42ce-8d59-c17acb591faf/model-rockets/