Falcon 9 successfully splashed down

Let me remind you that on July 14 the Falcon 9 launch vehicle launched six Orbcomm OG2 communication satellites into orbit , after which the first stage of the rocket entered the atmosphere and successfully made a soft landing in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This test confirms that the first stage can descend into the atmosphere at hypersonic speed, restart the engines twice, and, releasing the landing supports, splashes down successfully.



The impact of water led to damage to the systems of the rocket, but this did not prevent to get all the information necessary for further flights.

Now SpaceX is taking steps to minimize the accumulation of ice on the camera to improve image quality.
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As for the next two launches, they will be made into a high geostationary orbit, which will not allow to carry enough fuel to land on the engines.

The next attempt will be made on the 13th flight of the Falcon-9, but with a low probability of success.

After that, it is planned to land the rocket on a hard surface.

Link to the original publication: www.spacex.com/news/2014/07/22/spacex-soft-lands-falcon-9-rocket-first-stage