SpaceX Falcon Gains Massive Damage, Unable To Fly Again

SpaceX Falcon rocket may have landed on the ocean platform successfully, but the founder admitted that it suffered from massive damage. The company fears that it will not be able to fly again. 

Discovery News learned from the company founder and chief executive Elon Musk that the heavy damage was due to the rocket's high speed after it descended to the ocean platform. It came from delivering a communication satellite into orbit. 

Prior to its May 6 launch, SpaceX had some doubts that the rocket would even be able to carry out a successful ocean landing like that of the earlier mission. Its first mission was a cargo run to the International Space Station, a project sponsored by NASA.

The company revealed that the rocket suffered great damage this time because it needed extra speed to send the payload 22,000 miles into the orbit. "Most recent rocket took max damage, due to (very) high entry velocity," Musk posted on Twitter.

It coasted to an altitude of 76 miles above earth and then slammed into the atmosphere at Mach 5.7. To complete the remaining half-mile, the rocket needed to ignite three of its nine engines to lower significantly its speed, from 441 mph to 134 mph, within three seconds only.

SpaceX Falcon Rocket might have nailed its 2nd ocean landing but probably will not be flying again. 

This is an unfortunate news, but SpaceX company proved its caliber nonetheless. 

It can be remembered that after May 6's successful launch, anticipations were high that SpaceX will ramp up its flight rate, with missions predicted to be about every three weeks. Space X company now has more than 70 launches on its schedule, worth $10 billion in contracts. 

SpaceX is doing so well that the low-cost ommercial foreign satellite launch services of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are said to be in trouble, Bangalore Mirror reported. 

Former National Aerospace Laboratories director as well as the now longest serving member of the Indian space commission, Prof Roddam Narasimha opined that the effects will eventually be felt. "At least for some time, ISRO will not be affected. But what SpaceX is doing will eventually drastically reduce launch costs," he said.