Despite nearing an unprecedented milestone of 100 flights in a single calendar year, SpaceX staffers were not rewarded in the way they wanted on Christmas Day. Their most iconic Falcon 9, the historic booster B1058, was lost forever during the transport from its last mission.
SpaceX announced on X (Twitter) that the first stage tipped over on the deck of the autonomous droneship Just Read the Instructions (JRTI). This happened due to high winds and waves just less than 100 miles from Port Canaveral.
Booster B1058 was SpaceX’s fleet leader in launches and vertical landings with 19 successful missions. That includes the historic Demo-2 mission (May 2020) which lifted the first U.S. astronauts from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle era.
As SpaceX pointed out, the B1058 also managed to launch more than 860 satellites or over 260 tons of cargo to orbit, during its 3 1/2 years of service. Its 19th and last successful landing occurred on December 23.
Ultimately, the fate of B1058 was sealed by an unlucky combination of factors. The main one was, obviously, the rough sea weather, while the other one was simply the age of the rocket itself that was missing some updated parts, as explained by Kiko Dontchev, the vice president of Launch at SpaceX:
Tippy boosters occur when you get a certain set of landing conditions that lead to the legs having uneven loading. Heavy wind or sea state then cause the booster to teeter and slide which can lead to even worse leg loading. In this state, securing with the Octagrabber is super challenging and often only partially successful.
We came up with self-leveling legs that immediately equalize leg loads on landing after experiencing a severe tippy booster two years ago on Christmas (first flight of 1069). The fleet is mostly outfitted, but 1058, given its age, was not. It met its fate when it hit intense wind and waves resulting in failure of a partially secured Octagrabber less than 100 miles from home.
In the meantime, the remnants of B1058 have finally hit Port Canaveral. The photos circulating social media have shown the bottom (tank) part of the first stage, landing legs, all nine Merlin 1D engines, and the heavily damaged Octagrabber – the autonomous robot trying to hold the rocket in its place.
Falcon 9 B1058 🫡🇺🇸🚀🪱
— John Kraus (@johnkrausphotos) December 26, 2023
A portion of the record-setting Falcon 9 booster remains on board the Just Read the Instructions droneship. After its 19th launch and landing, the vehicle tipped over in rough seas during the transit back to Port Canaveral, and its top portion broke off.… pic.twitter.com/TaYhgmHL9R
The good news is that B1058 might still be a bit useful in the end. While many spaceflight fans suggested the remnants be displayed in a museum, SpaceX will actually try to collect the last bits of valuable data the booster can provide.
“We are planning to salvage the engines and do life leader inspections on the remaining hardware. There is still quite a bit of value in this booster. We will not let it go to waste,” said Jon Edwards, the vice president of Falcon Launch Vehicles at SpaceX.
Don’t forget there is still a little bit of 2023 remaining and SpaceX is not the only rocket launcher aiming to reach the orbit in the upcoming days. You can find the current launch schedule in our latest edition of This Week in Rocket Launches.