Space X rocket destroyed after successful EU satellite launch
Robert Hackwill

EUROPE -- Space X’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket has successfully put a European satellite into orbit, but what launch engineers described as a “hard landing” meant the private company’s latest mission was only a qualified success.

A faulty landing leg meant the Falcon 9 was totally destroyed when the first stage toppled over on the floating Pacific landing platform and blew up.

It is a setback for company founder Elon Musk’s ambition to operate a safe, cheap, reusable rocket system.

The latest flight had begun so well with a faultless liftoff from Space X’s California launchpad. Only last December the company pulled off a world first by bringing a Falcon 9 back to earth safely with a ground landing in Florida, but this time for as yet unexplained reasons disaster struck.

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2016/01/18/space-x-rocket-destroyed-after-successful-eu-satellite-launch/

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-18

It's all part of their learning curve -- brilliant work.

I just hope money keeps coming in. These types of people will be the true innovators and pioneers of space.

Can anyone explain in simple words what is all mess about SpaceX. The specs looks worse then spaceships developed on late 60th last century.

Can anyone explain in simple words what is all mess about SpaceX. The specs looks worse then spaceships developed on late 60th last century.

Maybe as big a mess as your post

Private space enterprises are not cheap and are the realm of THE most dedicated type of entrepreneur. They are launching and recovering. How good is that? Give them a trillion like NASA and I bet they would get some pretty cool results.