SpaceX, owned and operated by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, previously said the chances of a successful return landing of the rocket's main stage at sea were slim, given its high speed when it separated from the spacecraft.
A returning Falcon rocket main stage successfully touched down on a ground-based landing pad near the launch site in December following a less-demanding launch.
(Reporting by Irene Klotz from Cape Canaveral; Editing by Steve Gorman and Sandra Maler; Editing by Steve Gorman)
