# B1057

> Falcon Heavy core booster, destroyed during a landing failure

**Wikidata**: [Q112174901](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112174901)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/b1057

## Summary  
B1057 was a Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster used as the core of a Falcon Heavy rocket. It was destroyed during a landing failure following the STP-2 mission on June 25, 2019.

## Key Facts  
- Serial number: B1057  
- Manufacturer: SpaceX  
- Instance of: Falcon 9 Block 5 booster, demolished or destroyed  
- Mission: Core booster for the Falcon Heavy STP-2 launch  
- Launch date: June 25, 2019  
- Demolished date: June 25, 2019 (due to hard landing)  
- Preceded by: B1056  
- Succeeded by: B1058  
- Country of origin: United States  
- Significant event: Rocket launch under Falcon Heavy program for STP-2 payload  

## FAQs  
### Q: What happened to B1057 after its launch?  
A: B1057 was destroyed during a landing attempt following the STP-2 mission on June 25, 2019. The failure occurred due to a hard landing.

### Q: Was B1057 reused before its destruction?  
A: No, B1057 was not previously flown; it was lost on its maiden flight as part of the Falcon Heavy’s core configuration.

### Q: Which mission did B1057 support?  
A: B1057 served as the central core booster for the Falcon Heavy launch carrying the U.S. Air Force's STP-2 payload.

## Why It Matters  
B1057 played a critical role in one of SpaceX’s most complex missions at the time—the STP-2 rideshare launch for the U.S. Air Force. As part of the Falcon Heavy vehicle, it represented the culmination of SpaceX’s efforts to deliver reusable heavy-lift capability. Its loss underscored the challenges associated with recovering the center core of Falcon Heavy, which lacks the precision landing infrastructure available to boosters landing on droneships. Despite its destruction, B1057 contributed valuable operational data toward improving future Falcon Heavy flights and reinforced lessons around reusability limitations in certain configurations.

## Notable For  
- First use of a new Block 5 core in the Falcon Heavy system  
- Lost during a high-profile national security space mission  
- Demonstrated early limitations in Falcon Heavy core recovery  
- Part of the evolution toward more reliable and reusable launch systems  
- Highlighted engineering trade-offs between performance and reusability  

## Body  
### Overview  
B1057 was a Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster manufactured by SpaceX. It was integrated into the core position of a Falcon Heavy rocket for the STP-2 mission, launched on June 25, 2019. Unlike side boosters that land on autonomous drone ships, the center core lands on a floating platform without the same level of stabilization, making successful recovery more difficult.

### Mission Details  
The STP-2 (Space Test Program 2) mission was organized by the U.S. Air Force and included multiple payloads from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other government agencies. The Falcon Heavy lifted off from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A, carrying satellites such as COSMIC-2 and DSX into low Earth orbit and beyond.

### Landing Failure  
After stage separation, while both side boosters successfully landed, the central core—B1057—experienced issues during descent. Although it appeared intact during earlier phases, telemetry indicated an anomaly leading up to touchdown. Upon impact with the landing zone aboard the droneship *Of Course I Still Love You*, the booster suffered structural damage resulting in its complete destruction.

### Legacy and Impact  
Despite being lost, B1057 contributed to advancing understanding of Falcon Heavy operations. Subsequent improvements focused on enhancing guidance systems and fuel reserves for the center core to ensure safer returns. Later Falcon Heavy missions incorporated these learnings, increasing success rates for all three boosters.

---

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "B1057",
  "description": "Falcon Heavy core booster, destroyed during a landing failure",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108566794"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Falcon 9 Block 5 booster"
}