SpaceX rocket explodes during sea-platform landing

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded after failing to land on a sea platform correctly following the successful launch of a joint US-European satellite.

The failed approach this morning is the third time SpaceX has attempted to land one of their reusable rockets at sea, each time with explosive consequences.

Chief executive Elon Musk posted video footage of the blast on social media, along with an explanation of what went wrong.

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"Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing," he wrote on Instagram. "Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff." The comment was accompanied by a close-up video of the failed landing and subsequent blast.

Despite the end result, the attempt is "the closest the company has come to successfully landing a booster at sea", writes Wired, while Musk remained upbeat on Twitter, saying he was "optimistic about the ship's upcoming landing".

The private aerospace company is trying to develop rocket boosters which return to the ground in an upright position so they can be reused. It has been testing the technology since 2012.

"A successful ocean landing would be a major breakthrough in Elon Musk's quest to develop a cheap, reusable rocket,"says the Daily Mail. The ability to land on water platforms provides wider flexibility for launch and recovery locations. In December, SpaceX successfully landed a Falcon 9 on land after it delivered 11 satellites into orbit.

Such successful tests, along with the near misses at sea, have propelled SpaceX into the aerospace limelight. "Barely three years ago, Mr Musk and his team estimated the chances of pulling off the technical coup of retrieving a rocket for another flight to be one in five. Even a year ago, he projected success of landing on a floating platform as a 50-50 proposition," writes the Wall Street Journal in their assessment of the lofty ambitions of SpaceX.