SpaceX experienced a setback as one of its rocket boosters, B1058, toppled over during a Christmas mishap.
The Falcon 9 booster, lacking some auto-stabilization leg features and being an older model, landed on its drone ship but succumbed to the challenges of rough waters and turbulent winds during its transport back to Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to SpaceX.
Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s VP of launch, explained on X that challenging conditions such as wind and turbulent waters can pose difficulties during the landing process.
“Tippy boosters occur when you get a certain set of landing conditions that lead to the legs having uneven loading,” Dontchev wrote. “Heavy wind or sea state then cause the booster to teeter and slide which can lead to even worse leg loading.”
“We will make lemonade out of lemons and learn as much as possible,” Dontchev added, Business Insider reported.
On December 23, this specific Falcon 9 booster completed its 19th and ultimate mission.
Over the course of the past three and a half years, it successfully delivered more than 860 satellites into space, as reported by the space company.
Written by B.C. Begley
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