Private space-launch company SpaceX carried a scientific satellite into orbit Sunday but failed again in an attempt to land the rocket undamaged for reuse on future missions.
The Jason-3, a U.S. -European oceanography satellite, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California atop SpaceX's unmanned Falcon 9 rocket.
The satellite is designed to gather data on oceans, including tracking global sea level rise. The mission is meant to improve weather, climate and ocean forecasts, U.S. space agency NASA said.
NASA hailed the "successful launch" on Twitter.
As the Falcon 9 returned to Earth after deploying the satellite into low orbit, SpaceX attempted to land the spacecraft on an unmanned floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.
Read more: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453090907§ion=16&typecate=06