Enlarge / Here’s how SpaceX can land on its feet in 2017. (credit: SpaceX)

For rocket company SpaceX, 2016 was both the best of times and the worst of times. The company landed its orbital Falcon 9 rocket in April on an autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean—a captivating, unprecedented spectacle that promised a bright future for the trailblazing company.

But in September, during fueling for a pre-launch engine test, a problem with the fueling process led to an explosion of the rocket’s second stage. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle and its satellite payload were destroyed, and the company’s Florida-based launch facilities sustained major damage. This second loss of a Falcon 9 rocket and payload in 15 months raised questions about the viability of SpaceX’s “fast” and lean” rocket business. It also prompted concerns about the company’s profitability.

Yet all is far from lost for SpaceX. The company remains a disruptive force that has radically remade the global launch industry over the last five years, threatening major aerospace companies and government launch services from the USA to France to Russia. And with the possibility of a major bounce-back year in 2017, here are four ways SpaceX can come roaring back to the top.