Falcon 9 launches satellite successfully - Unexpectedly lands first stage in the water intact

Falcon 9 first stage floating in the Atlantic
Photo // SpaceX

Today at 4:25pm EST, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket took to the skies carrying the GovSat-1 satellite. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida off of Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40). The first stage of the Falcon 9 included recovery hardware, but would not be attempting a recovery. They would follow the regular landing procedures without landing on the droneship and it was planned to fall over into the water and explode due to the highly pressurized tanks rupturing. The first stage landed in the water and fell over - without exploding. Elon Musk tweeted, "...amazingly it has survived. We will try to tow it back to shore" and possibly have parts salvaged from it, but not official. 

Falcon 9 launching GovSat-1
Photo // SpaceX

The GovSat-1 satellite is the first of its kind and has been manufactured by Orbital ATK and is partnered with SES. The satellite is designed to address governmental and institutional security user needs and enables secure communication links between tactical operations for maritime missions. It is equipped with anti-jamming features and has encrypted telemetry connections. It'll be positioned over the equator supporting communications within Europe, the middle east, and Africa, as well as over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.