The SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 was successfully launched from the Vandenberg cosmodrome in California, after which it put into orbit ten Iridium NEXT space telecommunications devices owned by Iridium Communications.
After the satellites were separated and put into orbit, the first stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle landed on a water platform in the Pacific Ocean.
Falcon 9 rockets have already made successful landings earlier. This - the sixth in a row and the first after the accident that occurred on September 1, 2016. That day, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle exploded on the launch pad, along with the Amos-6 telecommunications satellite on board. As a result of the incident, expensive equipment was destroyed along with the rocket. The explosion caused serious damage to the launch pad and the company's reputation. Many experts and analysts doubted that SpaceX would quickly recover from what had happened, but the company's specialists, with the support of NASA engineers, were able to eliminate the flaw in a fairly short time.
Recall that SpaceX intends to continue not only launches, but also tests of its rockets, therefore, the company's specialists are going to try to land three launch vehicles at the same time this year. In order to reconcile all the controversial issues associated with the construction of two additional sites, it will take some time, but the tests are going to begin in early summer.
The article is based on materials .
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