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SpaceX to Attempt Rocket Landing at Sea This Sunday

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Having successfully landed a rocket back on Earth after launch, SpaceX is going to try to do it again, this time at sea.

First reported by Charles Lurio last week, and shortly thereafter confirmed by NBC News, SpaceX is going to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After the rocket detaches its cargo, it will head back to Earth for landing.

SpaceX will now try to land its Falcon 9 rocket on an unmanned landing pad on the Pacific Ocean.

"At Space Launch Complex 4 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the static test fire of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the upcoming Jason-3 launch was completed Monday at 5:35 p.m. PST, 8:35 p.m. EST," read a statement from NASA. "The first stage engines fired for the planned full duration of 7 seconds. The initial review of the data appears to show a satisfactory test, but will be followed by a more thorough data review on Tuesday. With this test complete, the next step in prelaunch preparations is to mate the rocket and the Jason-3 spacecraft, which is encapsulated in the payload fairing. This also is planned to occur as soon as Tuesday."

The last time SpaceX tried to land a rocket at sea was April when the rocket appeared upright as it came down before tipping over and crashing.

In December, SpaceX was successful landing its rocket back on the ground.

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