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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket landing fails after booster leg breaks

This is the third time SpaceX has attempted to land a rocket booster on an unmanned drone ship

Sunday 17 January 2016 20:24 GMT

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket takes off from Cape Canaveral in Florida in June 2015 (BRUCE WEAVER/AFP/Getty Images)

SpaceX has failed in their third attempt to vertically land a rocket booster on an unmanned ship, after their Falcon 9 spacecraft broke one of its legs in a hard landing.

SpaceX said the rocket, which had just delivered a satellite into orbit, was not upright after it reached the 90-by-50-metre landing pad in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego. No further details were available.

The private space transport company, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, managed a successful landing in December, when another Falcon 9 rocket made a safe vertical landing at Cape Canaveral in Florida after delivering a payload into space.

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

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1/12In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

Major Tim Peake blasting off into orbit on board the Soyuz space capsule on his way to becoming the first British astronaut to join the crew of the International Space Station (ISS)

PA

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

Major Tim Peake (left) blasting off into orbit on board the Soyuz space capsule on his way to becoming the first British astronaut to join the crew of the International Space Station (ISS)

PA

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

Photographers take pictures as Russia's Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 46/47 crew of Britain's astronaut Tim Peake, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and US astronaut Tim Kopra blasts off from the launch pad at Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome

AFP

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

Expedition 46-47 crewmembers ESA astronaut Tim Peake, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and commander Yuri Malenchenko launch into space from Baikonur cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan

Getty Images

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

The Russian rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in front of the world's media following weeks of preparation

PA

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

The Russian rocket minutes before launch

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

Tim Peake, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), waves to his children from a bus prior the launch of Soyuz TMA-19M space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

US astronaut Tim Kopra waves as he boards the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, prior to blasting off to the International Space Station (ISS)

Getty Images

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

Britain's astronaut Tim Peake (bottom), Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko (top) and US astronaut Tim Kopra board the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, prior to blasting off to the International Space Station (ISS)

Getty Images

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

British astronaut Tim Peake, member of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), during inspecting his space suit prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

AP

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

British astronaut Tim Peake, left, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, center, and U.S. astronaut Tim Kopra, members of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), walk to report to members of the State Committee prior to the launch of Soyuz TMA-19M space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

AP

In pictures: Tim Peake goes into space

From left, British astronaut Tim Peake, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and U.S. astronaut Tim Kopra, members of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), wave to their relatives near a bus prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

AP

However, it's never been able to make a landing at sea. One previous attempt failed due to the rocket coming in too fast, while the other abruptly ended when the booster tipped over due to too much horizontal movement at the time of landing.

SpaceX livestreamed the landing attempt on their website, but the video feed cut out just before the rocket touched down - however, the company confirmed on Twitter that the Falcon 9 experienced a "hard landing".

This article will be updated.

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