TIME Space

SpaceX Will Launch Another Falcon 9 Rocket

The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from the launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on June 28, 2015, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. After the launch the rocket exploded

The rocket is designed to carry satellites from U.S. company Orbcomm into low-earth orbit

SpaceX will launch another Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 19, the company announced on Thursday.

The new rocket is reportedly 30% more powerful and an upgraded version of the model that exploded 2 minutes after launching in late June.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attributed the launch failure at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 28 to a faulty strut, Agence France-Presse (AFP) adds.

This time around, the rocket will transport satellites from U.S. company Orbcomm into low Earth orbit, a company spokesperson told AFP. The new rocket is also designed to facilitate a controlled landing: SpaceX hopes to be able to reuse rockets in the future, AFP reports.

SpaceX was the first commercial company to send cargo to space after signing a $1.6 billion contract with NASA.

[AFP]

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