Watch SpaceX try to land a rocket back on solid ground again on Monday

SpaceX will try to land its second rocket on land after launch Monday morning.
 By 
Miriam Kramer
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In the wee hours of Monday morning, Elon Musk's SpaceX is going to try to do something it's only done once before: Land a rocket back on solid ground after launching a spacecraft to orbit.

SpaceX will attempt to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 booster on a launch pad in Florida after sending an uncrewed cargo spacecraft toward the International Space Station for a NASA resupply mission.

You can watch the launch and landing attempt live in the window below or directly through SpaceX or NASA TV.


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If successful, this will be the fifth rocket booster SpaceX has brought back to Earth for a soft landing. The first land landing occurred at the end of 2015.

Launch should occur at 12:45 a.m. ET, with the landing following not long after.

SpaceX performs these rocket landings on drone ships in the ocean as well.

Landing on solid ground is thought to be somewhat easier. Even though it takes more fuel to touch down on pads on land, they provide an easier target than the drone ship, which bobs and dips in the ocean.

"It’s a pretty good sized landing pad compared to the drone ship," SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann said of the pad in Florida during a NASA press conference Saturday.

SpaceX needs to make use of both landing profiles. Drone ship landings allow the company to bring back boosters that have launched payloads into high orbits, which requires the rocket to burn more fuel. It takes less fuel for a rocket to come down to a drone ship, making it a good landing option for those high-velocity missions.

SpaceX is also planning to re-fly one of its boosters before the end of this year, in September or October.

The company has chosen the booster which launched the last Dragon capsule to the Space Station. That rocket landed on a drone ship in April and was the first booster that made it back from space intact to land on the barge.

Monday's launch will mark the ninth flight of the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft to the Space Station under a contract with NASA that could see as many as 20 of these kinds of missions to the orbiting laboratory.

Topics SpaceX Elon Musk

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Miriam Kramer

Miriam Kramer worked as a staff writer for Space.com for about 2.5 years before joining Mashable to cover all things outer space. She took a ride in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight and watched rockets launch to space from places around the United States. Miriam received her Master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University in 2012, and she originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee. Follow Miriam on Twitter at @mirikramer.

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