A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a cargo capsule was successfully launched to the International Space Station on Saturday. It failed on its first attempt to land on a floating ocean platform, however.

According to Elon Musk, CEO and founder of SpaceX, the rocket made it to the drone spaceport ship but landed hard. He said in a tweet it was, close, but no cigar this time.

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Musk also revealed the returning rocket apparently ran out of the hydraulic fluid needed to steer its fins. He said the next vehicle will have 50 percent more hydraulic fluid.

Space Exploration Technologies or SpaceX has been developing a reusable rocket that can be refurbished and reflown, cutting down on launch costs. NASA currently reuses twin solid rocket boosters from the space shuttle missions it recovers from the ocean when they land via parachutes. This system is too expensive.

SpaceX's solution to cut costs is to fly its rockets back to the launch pad. The recent test marks the first time a Falcon 9 rocket attempted to land on a platform floating in the ocean.

Apart from four landing legs, the rocket also has four grid fins to stabilize the booster upon its descent. Saturday's launch sent a Dragon cargo ship to the ISS. The cargo is expected to arrive on Monday.

After a delayed launch last Tuesday, the rocket finally blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where it discarded a 14-storey tall first stage booster that landed on its target floating platform some 200 miles from the Florida coast but exploded into pieces.

The Dragon capsule is carrying 5,100 pounds of food and scientific supplies and equipment. This launch was the fifth of 12 planned station resupply missions by SpaceX provided under a US $1.6 billion contract with NASA.

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