Video: SpaceX rocket crashes on a barge

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket met a fiery end on landing, exploding when it hit the barge on which it had been intended to land.

However, the company was prepared for failure. According to an article posted to Spacex.com in December, the company estimated the chances of a successful precision landing at 50 percent or less. "However this test represents the first in a series of similar tests that will ultimately deliver a fully reusable Falcon 9 first stage," the article continues.

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