WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 06:35 p.m. on Friday (23:35 GMT). The launch had been put off four times since February 24 amid bad weather conditions and technical difficulties.
"Rocket landed hard on the droneship. Didn't expect this one to work (v hot reentry), but next flight has a good chance," SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk said on Twitter.
The rocket carried the SES-9 telecommunications satellite into orbit. The satellite is to provide broadcasting and other services in Asia, Indonesia and the Indian Ocean.
In December 2015, SpaceX succeeded in making its Falcon 9 first-stage rocket land upright about 6 miles from where it was launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was the first time an orbital rocket successfully completed a controlled landing on Earth.
In January 2015, SpaceX tried to land a Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship, but the rocket toppled over and exploded.
