WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Falcon 9 rocket was launched at about 17:39 local time (21:39 GMT) on Friday from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rocket's second stage successfully put Thailand’s Thaicom 8 communications satellite into orbit.
Rocket landing speed was close to design max & used up contingency crush core, hence back & forth motion. Prob ok, but some risk of tipping.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2016
SpaceX started experimenting with drone ship landings in 2015. Of the previous three Falcon 9 launches, two drone ship landings were successful.
After a successful drone ship landing in April, Musk said that the Flacon 9 booster could be used for 10-20 more flights; with the help of some modifications, the rocket could fly up to 100 times.
Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, #Florida, May 27 at 5:39 pm ET @usairforce @AFSpace #Falcon9 pic.twitter.com/pbs7ResBKJ
— 45th Space Wing (@45thSpaceWing) May 27, 2016
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.
Tests completed after the successful drone ship landing in December 2015 indicated that the booster could possibly fly again.
So far, SpaceX has not relaunched any of the rockets that have landed successfully, but, according to Musk, a first stage Falcon 9 could be reused as early as this summer.
