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1st LD: SpaceX launches ocean-monitoring satellite, attempting to land rocket on boat

Xinhua, January 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. private spacecraft company SpaceX launched on Sunday morning the Jason-3 ocean-measuring satellite.

It will also make another attempt to land the spent first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a uncrewed "drone ship" in the Pacific Ocean.

The California-based company's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 10:42 a.m. PST(1842 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California, delivering the Jason-3 ocean-monitoring satellite into orbit.

But more attention may be on SpaceX's another attempt to return the first stage of the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket back to Earth to land on a floating landing ship in the Pacific ocean, with a landing zone of 150 feet (45.7 meters) by 250 feet (76.2 meters).

The offshore landing attempt follows on the heels of SpaceX's successful Falcon 9 rocket landing on a land-based pad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Dec. 21, which was considered an important milestone in the space industry and a big step toward making rockets reusable.

Previously, SpaceX has tried several times last year to land its rocket booster on a drone ship in the ocean, but all without success. Sunday's attempt is the latest in a series of trial runs as SpaceX attempts to make rocket parts reusable, lowering the cost of spaceflight and making it more sustainable and accessible. Enditem