A reusable SpaceX rocket crashed Tuesday as it attempted to land on an ocean barge.
The Falcon 9 rocket was successfully launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral station Tuesday to deliver a capsule to the International Space Station.
It was SpaceX's sixth successful launch, but the company founded by Elon Musk wants to land the rocket back on a platform at sea. If successful, the rocket recovery could mean significant cost savings for SpaceX, CNBC reported.
Video captured by a chase plane Tuesday showed the rocket attempting to land on a drone platform, tipping over and bursting into flames.
Musk described Tuesday's landing as "too hard for survival."
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According to Musk, the landing was almost successful, with the rocket tipping over right after landing:
On Wednesday, Musk added that the drone ship damage was relatively minor:
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The SpaceX capsule, which was attached to the Falcon 9, holds more than 4,000 pounds of supplies, mostly food, which it will carry onto the International Space Station, CNBC reported.
Included in the supplies on the rocket was a special espresso machine for Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who's been drinking the instant coffee onboard since autumn.
The Italians involved with the trip hope to revolutionize drinking coffee in space.
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Musk wrote on Twitter that he estimates an 80% chance of successfully landing the Falcon 9 on a barge by the end of the year:
SpaceX does have another Falcon 9 launch scheduled for late next week, but it won't be testing the landing, Verge reported.
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