US space company SpaceX has failed in its latest attempt to successfully land one of its rockets on a floating platform, after their Falcon 9 rocket exploded into a huge fireball after falling over upon touching down on the ground.
In video posted by the companys founder and CEO Elon Musk to Instagram, the unmanned rocket appears to successfully descend onto the floating barge in the Pacific. But only seconds after landing, the Falcon 9 begins to tip over and crash, causing a spectacular explosion.
In a comment posted with the video Musk stated, Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesnt latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post-landing. Root cause may have been ice build-up due to condensation from heavy fog at lift-off.
SpaceX has successfully landed its Falcon 9 on solid ground before, managing to land the rocket upright after a launch for the first time in history in December.
