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By 2 December 2015 | Categories: news

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If you've ever watched one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket tests, you'll no doubt have noticed that they are conducted at sea. That will however change for the next Falcon 9 rocket test, as NASA says that SpaceX will do so on solid ground. Although a report at this stage, it does mark a step forward in SpaceX's ultimate goal with the Falcon 9 rocket, which is to launch and then touch down safely to Earth, possibly allowing the company to reuse the rocket. 

This news was made in an announcement at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, with the Florida Today reporting it. "Their plan is to try to land [the next booster] out here on the Cape-side," said Carol Scott of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Cape-side refers to Cape Canaveral platform, where other NASA missions, and now SpaceX will launch from.

Oddly though, SpaceX is yet to comment on or indeed confirm the news despite NASA already doing so. This therefore brings into question the company's readiness for such an endeavour. Perhaps its hesitance is the fact the two previous attempts at the Falcon 9's landing at sea failed. Nevertheless, if true, this is potentially a major step forward in SpaceX's program. 

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