Leaked Barge Video Reminds SpaceX How Close To Perfect The Landing Was

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By now, you’ve probably heard that SpaceX’s third attempt at landing a rocket on a drone barge met the same watery fate as numbers one and two. And, you’ve probably seen the long-distance video of the landing attempt. But to rub just a little more salt in Elon Musk’s wound, here’s the leaked video shot from the barge itself.

Thanks to the deck-level camera, we can see exactly what happened in the seconds after the rocket touched the deck — basically, it teetered over, hung tantalisingly in space for a moment, then hit the deck with an explosion that would make Hollywood proud.

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As long as SpaceX can solve the “excess lateral velocity” problem you can see above, the stage should be set for a more successful round four — meaning cheaper space flight for all. [YouTube via Reddit]


Contact the author at chris@gizmodo.com.

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