SpaceX Falcon 9 booster crashes into ocean during landing attempt

This marks first failed recovery of a SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable booster since February 2021
The image shows SpaceX Falcon 9 launching Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida on March 26 2024. — X/@SpaceX
The image shows SpaceX Falcon 9 launching Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida on March 26 2024. — X/@SpaceX

A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster after launching a batch of Starlink satellites into space, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean while attempting a landing on Tuesday (August 27). There are no further details regarding the crash, but this is the first recovery failure in a reusable booster since February 2021, ending a streak of 267 successful landings.

The Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites into orbit, but during an attempt at landing, the first-stage booster crashed. SpaceX delayed a second launch planned for the same day to review data about the botched landing.

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SpaceX would like to certify its Falcon 9 first stages for up to 40 flights each. It's working towards efficiencies in costs by reusing as many of its rockets as possible. 

The failed landing would be analysed as to what happened and how future landings can be successfully performed.

It's a setback coming after another recent incident last month in which an explosion of the second stage grounded the Falcon 9 temporarily. SpaceX would investigate the cause of the failed landing so that they wouldn't have this happen again.