Watch reside: SpaceX Tries again To Land A Rocket On An Ocean Barge

shortly after 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, SpaceX will try and land its Falcon 9 rocket on a robotic floating platform within the Atlantic Ocean.

February 10, 2015

replace 5:fifty five p.m. ET: “No go” for launch lately due to high winds. The staff could try once more Wednesday evening.

After engineers scrubbed Sunday night time’s launch just two minutes prior to carry-off, Elon Musk’s private spaceflight firm SpaceX will are trying once more this night to send a satellite tv for pc into orbit and then land a Falcon 9 rocket on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. (Scroll down for the live movement.)

SpaceX has a one-2d window at 6:05 p.m. ET Tuesday to launch the Falcon 9 rocket, for you to lift the Deep house local weather Observatory satellite tv for pc into orbit. The satellite tv for pc, operated via the U.S. national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will display streams of plasma from the solar that may disrupt electronics in house and in the world.

If all goes to plan, the rocket should land itself vertically on the one hundred-foot-with the aid of-300-foot barge about 10 minutes after liftoff. This experimental maneuver is cut loose the scientific satellite mission, for you to no longer be affected will have to the touchdown strive fail.

today’s mission follows SpaceX’s first attempt to land its Falcon 9 rocket on a barge on January 10. After separating from a cargo tablet certain for the global house Station, the Falcon 9 guided itself to the robotic floating platform the usage of GPS. just prior to the landing, alternatively, the fins meant to sluggish and stabilize the descent ran out of hydraulic fluid, and the rocket crashed hard into the deck. here is a video of that nearly a success landing:

SpaceX says it has packed 50% more hydraulic fluid for today’s mission, in order to be only the 2d time somebody has tried to land a rocket on a floating platform after an area launch. SpaceX has described the maneuver as “like looking to balance a rubber broomstick to your hand in the middle of a wind storm.”

As I wrote (February 12, 2015), SpaceX hypothetically will be able to keep millions of bucks by using reusing its vehicles if it may possibly successfully land its rockets after space launches, quite than letting them fall into the ocean and turn out to be trash. “i believe if we are able to get well the stage intact and relaunch it, the possible is there for a very modern affect in space transport prices,” Musk mentioned last yr. SpaceX at present works with NASA to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the world area Station. the company is also building a non-public spaceport in Texas to improve commercial missions.

Watch a are living move of the launch, scheduled for six:05 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, below. we can update this submit with information of the barge touchdown. If engineers scrub tonight’s launch, the staff could are attempting for any other window at 6:03 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

[photograph: via SpaceX]

 

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