In a rare mishap, SpaceX’s workhorse rocket tipped over on the landing pad and went up in flames, ending a stellar streak of touchdowns.
Falcon 9 launched on Wednesday at 3:48 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40. The rocket’s upper stage delivered 21 Starlink satellites to orbit, while the booster returned to Earth to perform a landing on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Although the booster’s descent went smoothly, it toppled over once it reached the droneship and broke apart, igniting a large fire.
“After a successful ascent, Falcon 9’s first stage booster tipped over following touchdown on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship,” SpaceX wrote on X. “Teams are assessing the booster’s flight data and status.”
Wednesday’s launch marked the booster’s 23rd flight and the 82nd liftoff for the Falcon 9 rocket in 2024 alone. The landing mishap ends a streak of 267 successful touchdowns and booster recoveries since February 2021. Its previous landing malfunction was due to a hole in an engine cover, which allowed for exhaust to enter and damage the engine, causing the booster to fumble its descent.
Falcon 9 is the industry’s hardest working launch vehicle, although its recent tumble marks the rocket’s second mishap in less than two months. In July, the rocket was unable to deliver its payload of satellites to orbit due to an upper stage malfunction. The incident grounded the rocket until an investigation into the failed flight concluded around two weeks later, pinpointing an oxygen leak as the reason behind the engine malfunction.
The trusty medium-lift rocket has participated in more than 350 missions since its debut in 2010. SpaceX is aiming for a record-breaking 148 launches of its Falcon 9 rocket this year, topping the 98 missions of 2023. Falcon 9’s previous malfunction took place in September 2016, when the rocket exploded while still on the launch pad.
The 135-foot-high (41 meters) rocket is capable of lifting up to 50,300 pounds (22,800 kilograms) of payload into low-Earth orbit. Falcon 9 has consistently provided space agencies and private companies with reliable access to space, and the rocket has a packed schedule for the remainder of the year.
SpaceX is set to launch billionaire space enthusiast Jared Isaacman on private mission Polaris Dawn. The mission was scheduled for liftoff on Wednesday morning, but was delayed to no earlier than Friday due to unfavorable weather. The mission includes the first attempt at a spacewalk by a private crew.
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