TAMPA: SpaceX on Wednesday blasted off its unmanned Dragon cargo ship, loaded with supplies, science experiments and food for the astronauts living at the International Space Station but failed to successfully land its booster afterwards.
“We have had a great liftoff,” said SpaceX commentator John Insprucker, as the Falcon 9 rocket soared into the sunny, blue sky over Cape Canaveral, Florida at 1:16 pm (1816 GMT), carrying 5,600 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of gear.
The mission was SpaceX’s 16th mission for NASA as part of a long-term contract to ferry supplies to space.The Dragon cargo ship successfully made it to orbit, which was the primary goal of the launch. But the tall portion of the rocket missed its goal of securing an upright landing on solid ground at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1.
After separating from the second stage, and firing its engines to return to Earth, a video camera on board showed the first stage spinning.“Grid fin hydraulic pump stalled, so Falcon landed just out to sea,” CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter.
“Appears to be undamaged and is transmitting data. Recovery ship dispatched.” Later, Musk posted the full video from on board the booster, showing the rocket spiral, then stabilize, then crash sideways into the water. “Engines stabilized rocket spin just in time, enabling an intact landing in water! Ships en route to rescue Falcon,” he wrote.
It was the first time SpaceX ever failed to land a booster on solid ground, following a string of 12 straight successes. Ocean platform landings have proven a bit trickier, but SpaceX has managed to stick the landing, whether on land or sea, 32 times in all.
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan on Sept. 13, 2016. — Slate website WASHINGTON: U.S. Supreme Court justices, wading back...
A representational image of inmates behind jail bars. — Unsplash/FileMOSCOW: A Russian court on Wednesday ordered...
Sudanese soldiers guard the surrounding area of the UNMIS compound in El-Fasher, the administrative capital of North...
US quietly shipped ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. — Report news agencyWASHINGTON: The United States in recent weeks...
US President Joe Biden during his address in California. — AFP FileWASHINGTON: President Joe Biden signed a...
The World Meteorological Organisation flag. — AFP FileGENEVA: Global temperatures hit record highs last year, and...