SpaceX’s most used Falcon 9 rocket has finally met its end.
It is a rocket booster that has been launched 19 times so far, and it made history when it completed the first manned mission launched from the United States (U.S.) soil after almost ten years.
The Falcon 9 booster, numbered 1058, completed its last mission on Saturday when it delivered 23 Starlink satellites into orbit after launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The booster then returned and landed on the droneship in the Atlantic Ocean, as it had done before. However, on its way back to the shore, the sea was rough and there was a strong wind, so the booster tipped over and broke apart. A large part ended up in the water.
SpaceX confirmed the loss of the booster and cited “high winds and waves during transport” as the reason. The company added that the newer versions of the Falcon 9 rocket have improved landing “legs” that enable greater durability in the mentioned conditions.
SpaceX executive Kiko Dontchev expressed his sadness and disappointment over the fate of the booster, which he called “historical 1058.” He added that the booster could topple over if the landing conditions unevenly loaded the landing “legs,” and the impact of wind or waves could cause it to slide off the droneship.
According to him, the company would learn from this incident and continue to progress towards the goal of achieving “aircraft-like operations” for its reusable rockets.
Namely, the booster 1058 had a remarkable career, starting with its maiden flight in May 2020, when it launched NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station (ISS). It was the first time SpaceX had sent astronauts into space and the first time the U.S. had done so since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.
This also marked the beginning of the Commercial Crew Program, in which NASA astronauts and private companies used SpaceX’s services for transportation to and from the ISS.
The booster 1058 was also used to launch the cargo version of the Crew Dragon capsule, which delivered food and experiments to the ISS in December 2020. With 19 launches, it was the record holder, while two more boosters flew 17 times each, and the additional two had 15 flights each.
SpaceX uses reusable boosters as long as possible to reduce costs and increase launch frequency, thereby creating new opportunities for space exploration.
The loss of booster 1058 is a rare setback for SpaceX because the reusable rockets of this company have achieved incredible results. After the launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket, two boosters were simultaneously landed.
SpaceX is now developing Starship, a massive rocket that could take humans to the Moon and Mars, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
