2nd LD: SpaceX launches ocean-monitoring satellite, but drone ship landing attempt fails again

U.S. private spacecraft company SpaceX launched on Sunday morning the Jason-3 ocean-measuring satellite, but failed in its attempt to land the spent first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a ship in the Ocean.

"First stage on target at droneship but looks like hard landing; broke landing leg. Primary mission remains nominal," the company tweeted.

The Falcon 9 rocket of the California-based SpaceX lifted off right on time 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.

The international mission Jason-3, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) partnering with the U.S. space agency NASA, CNES (the French Space Agency) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, will continue to monitor and precisely measure global sea surface heights, observe the intensification of tropical cyclones and support seasonal and coastal forecasts.

Jason-3 data will also benefit fishery management, marine industries and research into human impacts in the world's oceans. The mission is planned to last at least five years.

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.

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 tries to make rocket parts reusable, lowering the cost of spaceflight and making it more sustainable and accessible. Enditem