Copyright Max Whittaker, Getty Images
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

SpaceX CEO Musk Says Falcon 9 Recycle Attempt Fails

Jan. 10, 2015
"Ship itself is fine," Elon Musk said on Twitter.

A first-ever attempt to recycle a rocket by guiding the Falcon 9's first stage down to a precision landing on an ocean platform failed on Saturday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said.

"Rocket made it to drone spaceport ship but landed hard," he wrote on Twitter. "Close but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho."

SpaceX had given the test landing a 50-50 chance of success.

The launch's primary mission was to send the unmanned Dragon cargo ship to orbit, and that went smoothly after two delays in recent weeks due to rocket problems.

The Dragon cargo vessel should arrive at the space station at 6:12 am on Monday, NASA said.

Since the launch took place in the pre-dawn darkness, Musk said the team did not get good video images of the landing and impact. 

"Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment will need to be replaced," he wrote on Twitter.

"Didn't get good landing/impact video. Pitch dark and foggy. Will piece it together from telemetry and...actual pieces."

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!