SpaceX Falcon 9 booster tipped over in a record 23rd touchdown

On August 28, 2024, SpaceX launched a new Falcon 9 rocket mission to low-Earth orbit but its first stage booster tipped over a droneship as soon as it landed.

This was the 23rd flight for a booster and exceeded the previous record of 22 reusable reflights for the first stage. The mission carried a 21 Starlink payload to low-Earth orbit including 13 new Direct to Cell satellites.

The company has initiated a liftoff at 3:48 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Following stage separation and maintaining the landing trajectory, the booster completed the landing burn and deployed gears. However, it instantly tipped over after a touchdown on the droneship.

Teams are observing the data received from the booster. Meanwhile, the second stage completed the first and second burn to deploy the payload into orbit.

SpaceX planned to launch two missions on the same day but decided to stand down after this crash event. It gave a reason that this delay would provide time for the team to review booster landing data from this booster crash.

Falcon 9 First Stage booster tipped off the droneship after its 23rd touchdown on August 28, 2024 (Source – SpaceX)

Process

The first stage performs several maneuvers including entry burn, which slows down the rocket from orbital velocity. It has four grid fins to control the rocket’s yaw, pitch, and roll. These components help to maintain its trajectory to meet the landing zone on the droneship.

The booster descends vertically toward the droneship at a controlled speed. Then it deploys landing legs and connects with the ground at the lowest speed.

The live stream shows that the booster tipped over after touchdown but we’ll have to wait for more details from SpaceX.