The Falcon 9’s first stage booster broke apart after completing its 19th mission, tipping over on an unmanned ship in the Atlantic Ocean due to strong winds.
A SpaceX rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday, Dec. 23, carrying 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. After landing on the company’s droneship, the rocket booster, known by the serial number B1058, had been returned to shore when it overturned due to strong winds and waves, SpaceX said. revealed Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter).
“We are extremely disappointed and saddened to lose booster 1058,” said Kiko Donchev, SpaceX’s vice president of launch. I have written with X as a reaction to the news. “Tippy booster occurs when certain landing conditions occur that place an uneven load on the legs. Strong winds or sea conditions can cause the booster to wobble or slip, further exacerbating the load on the legs. there is.”
It’s a disappointing end for the beloved B1058, the first Falcon 9 booster to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. On May 30, 2020, the first stage booster launched NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft for SpaceX’s first crewed mission. This historic feat was also the first crewed flight for NASA’s commercial crew program, and the first time astronauts have been launched from U.S. soil since the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011.
Since then, the booster has placed 860 satellites into orbit over a record-breaking 19 missions. “The new Falcon booster has upgraded landing legs with self-leveling capabilities and features that alleviate these types of issues,” SpaceX wrote in X.
But the company has no plans to scrap the broken parts of its iconic rocket booster. “We plan to recover the engine and conduct life-leader testing of the remaining hardware,” said John Edwards, SpaceX vice president of Falcon launch vehicles. I have written “This booster still has significant value. We won’t let it go to waste.”
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