Monday, January 12, 2015

SpaceX Sees Successful Launch, Not So Great Landing

Hawthorne-based SpaceX saw another successful launch of a mission ot the International Space Station on Saturday, taking off at 4:47 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. However, SpaceX saw less success in its attempt to land its first rocket booster on a floating platform off the Florida coast--part of its efforts to develop a reusable rocket--as the booster "landed hard" and damaged the platform. SpaceX had originally planned to launch the mission on January 6th, but scrubbed that launch due to an unspecified technical issue. The launch is the fifth of twelve, contracted resupply missions for SpaceX to the International Space Station. The Dragon spacecraft is expected to arrive today (Monday) at the International Space Station, where it will unload more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and payloads.