SpaceX tries again on Space Station resupply, booster landing

After an attempted launch earlier this week was scrubbed due to a helium leak, SpaceX will try again at 3:25pm EDT today. The mission will send a Dragon capsule toward the International Space Station, filled with more than 5,000 lbs. of everything from food to science experiments.

But sending Dragon toward the ISS is where the fun just starts, from the perspective of SpaceX. The company has started testing the equipment and procedures needed to return its Falcon 9 booster for reuse. During the last launch, this involved a controlled return to the atmosphere and partial descent. This time, the company will have the Falcon deploy landing legs and attempt to come down gently into the ocean.

It doesn't necessarily expect to succeed—the company figures the odds are 2:1 against it—but it definitely hopes to learn a bit more about the challenges involved in the process. Ultimately, the goal is to have the Falcon set down on land for a rapid refurbishment and reuse.