SpaceX Launches Its 1st Deep Space Mission
Falcon 9 blasts off carrying a climate satellite.
— -- SpaceX successfully launched its first deep space mission today when the Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida carrying a climate satellite.
It was the private space company's fourth attempt since Sunday to launch the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), a project belonging to NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Air Force.
The mission had previously been sidelined due to high winds and an issue with a U.S. Air Force tracking radar, according to tweets from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
SpaceX had been expected to make its second attempt to land the rocket booster on a barge minutes after liftoff, however the company said this afternoon it was forced to abort the plan due to rough seas.
In a statement, the company said the likelihood of a rocket recycling test being successful today was slim due to three-story tall waves crashing over the deck of its landing barge. Instead, the company will attempt a soft landing of the rocket in the water, however survival is "highly unlikely."
Despite the setback, Musk and his team plan to continue attempting the historic feat. Recycling the rocket booster is something Musk said will cut costs and help make space travel more accessible to the masses.