SpaceX to attempt ocean landing of rocket

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has successfully completed a static test fire of the last Falcon 9 v1. SpaceX previously attempted an ocean landing using this configuration.

Late a year ago, SpaceX finally landed its reusable rocket after a trip to space and back.

The Falcon 9 SpaceX that returned to Earth last month has been inspected, and Musk said it is free of damage and capable of firing again.

Jason-3 satellite is part of the mission and efforts jointed by the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European climate-satellite organization EUMETSAT, the French space agency CNES and NASA. After the satellite – which will monitor sea level rise – is deposited into orbit, the rocket’s main stage will fall back to Earth. “Two of the legs broke their stops on landing, so it tipped over and exploded”, Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and CEO, said in a statement.

Sunday’s launch is scheduled to take place at VAFB’s Space Launch Complex-4.

Landing on an automated barge ship is something that Space X has been trying to do for a while. After providing an initial boost toward orbit, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage will separate, drop away and use a series of engine burns to fly back to one of SpaceX’s autonomous landing platforms, which use thrusters to position themselves under descending rockets. 1 rocket set to be launched.

The important piece of equipment will blast off aboard the Falcon 9 after passing tests with flying colors on January 11. For a sea platform landing, the Falcon 9 figure of merit is roughly 300 gigaojoules (GJ) of kinetic energy and for a return to launch site landing, the number is about 120 GJ.

In December, SpaceX achieved the monumental feat of returning the first stage booster of its rocket after it had launched an array of communications satellites.

“Aiming to launch this weekend and (hopefully) land on our droneship”, Musk tweeted. The pay load is the Jason 3 satellite.