Guwahati, June 21 -- Written by Himan Roshan Borah

For most of human history, transportation became less expensive when vehicles were reused. Ships crossed oceans thousands of times. Aircraft carried passengers for decades. Even the family car is expected to last for years before being replaced. Yet, for much of the space age, rockets operated according to a very different logic. They were among the most sophisticated and expensive machines ever built, only to be discarded after a single flight.

The practice was so deeply ingrained that few questioned it. Governments accepted it. Aerospace companies built business models around it. Every launch required a new rocket, and every rocket that reached orbit effectively became scrap metal. Th...