SpaceX launches satellite, but fails to land rocket on barge

SpaceX has another launch under its belt, but not another rocket landing. The unmanned Falcon 9 rocket blasted off carrying a broadcasting satellite for Luxembourg-based company SES. It was the fifth launch attempt over the past fortnight, and Sunday’s effort ended with an engine shutdown a split second before lift-off. As it has tried before, SpaceX attempted to land the discarded first-stage booster, with the target a barge in the Atlantic, 400 miles offshore. Just before touchdown 10 minutes into the flight, the TV camera on the platform cut out, drawing loud groans from the crowd gathered at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

Rocket landed hard. Didn’t expect this one to work … but next flight has a good chance.

Elon Musk, the founder and chief executive officer of SpaceX, said in a Twitter message more than an hour after blastoff

More than 30 minutes later, the private company indicated the test was unsuccessful. SpaceX said it had never expected the test to succeed given the hefty, high-flying payload. It said the mission required that the booster fly much faster than usual and therefore burn up more fuel, leaving less for a precision touchdown. SpaceX scored a rocket landing on the ground at Cape Canaveral in December, but has yet to succeed with a trickier floating barge landing. Company chief Elon Musk reported the target altitude of more than 25,000 miles was achieved, and tweeted: “Thanks @SES_Satellites for riding on Falcon 9! Looking forward to future missions.”

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