Rocket launches from Vandenberg but botches landing

However, people were more interested in the attempt to land the Falcon 9 rocket on a sea barge after it gave the satellite the boost needed to reach space, according to CNet.

It will be the fourth attempt by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to land a rocket on a platform – known as a droneship – in the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX’s landing attempt on Sunday was the third time the privately owned firm had tried to recover a rocket on an ocean platform.

Once it powers the rocket into space, the booster stage of the Falcon 9 rocket would separate, turn around and head back toward Earth, just as it did last month.

As a result, while the first stage returned on target to its autonomous drone ship, it broke one of its landing legs.

“So it tipped over after landing”, Musk said.

SpaceX said no images of the final leg of the trip were available because the live video link was disrupted before the rocket landed, the Nine Network reported.

SpaceX’s rocket approaches the centre of landing droneship in the Pacific Ocean.

Musk appeared positive in his tweet after the troubled landing, saying it was not like rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD).

“Definitely harder to land on a ship”, tweeted Musk after the latest foible.

It is not known yet when the next SpaceX mission is lifting off. The list of upcoming mission is though packed.

The satellite being launched Sunday is called Jason-3, which would help the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration monitor sea levels and forecast hurricane intensities and tides for commercial shipping. The first two attempts were unsuccessful, with the rocket initially coming in too fast in January 2015, and then having too much lateral motion in April previous year.

The mission of Jason-3 is to continue an unbroken record of more than two decades of sea level measurements from orbit.

NOAA is one of five agencies partnering on the $180 million, five-year Jason-3 programme.

The company’s subsequent launch will take off from Florida no earlier than February 6, but that rocket must deliver the SES-9 communications satellite to geostationary orbit.

The private aerospace company is trying to develop rocket boosters which return to the ground in an upright position so they can be reused.