# B1059

> Falcon 9 first-stage booster, destroyed during a landing failure

**Wikidata**: [Q112180816](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112180816)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/b1059

## Summary
B1059 was a SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage booster that was destroyed during a landing failure in February 2021. This Block 5 version of the booster completed multiple launches successfully before being lost during its final mission when a hard landing destroyed the vehicle.

## Key Facts
- B1059 was a Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster manufactured by SpaceX with serial number B1059
- The booster was destroyed on February 16, 2021, due to a hard landing during its final mission
- B1059 successfully completed six launches: SpaceX CRS-19 (2019-12-05), SpaceX CRS-20 (2020-03-07), Starlink (2020-06-13), SAOCOM 1B (2020-08-30), NROL-108 (2020-12-19), and Starlink (2021-02-16)
- The booster followed B1058 and was followed by B1060 in SpaceX's booster serial sequence
- B1059 was classified as a "Falcon 9 booster" with the qualifier "demolished or destroyed"
- The booster originated from the United States and was associated with the SpaceX Falcon 9 B1059 commons category
- The destruction was attributed to component fatigue causing an early shutdown of a Merlin engine according to a Spaceflight Now report

## FAQs
### Q: What happened to B1059?
A: B1059 was destroyed during a landing failure on February 16, 2021. The booster was lost during an attempted recovery, specifically due to a hard landing caused by component fatigue in a Merlin engine.

### Q: How many launches did B1059 complete?
A: B1059 successfully completed six launches throughout its service life: SpaceX CRS-19, SpaceX CRS-20, Starlink, SAOCOM 1B, NROL-108, and its final Starlink mission.

### Q: What type of rocket was B1059?
A: B1059 was a Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster, representing the current version of SpaceX's Falcon 9 orbital launch vehicle at the time of its operation.

### Q: When was B1059 manufactured?
A: While the specific manufacturing date isn't provided in the source material, B1059 was part of the Falcon 9 Block 5 series and was operational from at least December 2019 until its destruction in February 2021.

## Why It Matters
B1059 represents an important case study in SpaceX's reusable rocket development program. As a Falcon 9 Block 5 booster, it was part of SpaceX's efforts to reduce launch costs through reusability. The booster's destruction during a landing failure highlights the challenges and risks inherent in rocket recovery operations. Despite this setback, the data gathered from B1059's missions, including its final failure, contributed to SpaceX's continuous improvement of their landing systems and booster reliability. Each recovered or lost booster provides valuable information that advances the state of space technology, making even failures stepping stones toward more reliable and cost-effective access to space.

## Notable For
- Successfully completing six missions before being lost, demonstrating the durability of Falcon 9 Block 5 boosters
- Being destroyed during a landing attempt, highlighting the risks of rocket recovery operations
- Carrying diverse payloads including cargo (CRS-19 and CRS-20), Starlink satellites, SAOCOM 1B, and classified NROL-108 missions
- The final destruction being attributed to component fatigue causing early Merlin engine shutdown, providing valuable engineering data
- Following B1058 and preceding B1060 in SpaceX's booster serial numbering system

## Body
### Identification and Classification
B1059 was a SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage booster, specifically a Block 5 variant which represents the current version of the Falcon 9 orbital launch vehicle. It had the serial number B1059 and was manufactured by SpaceX in the United States. The booster was classified as a "Falcon 9 booster" with the additional qualifier "demolished or destroyed," indicating its final status.

### Operational History
B1059 completed six successful launches throughout its operational life:
1. SpaceX CRS-19 on December 5, 2019
2. SpaceX CRS-20 on March 7, 2020
3. Starlink mission on June 13, 2020
4. SAOCOM 1B mission on August 30, 2020
5. NROL-108 mission on December 19, 2020
6. Starlink mission on February 16, 2021 (final mission)

### Destruction and Aftermath
The booster was destroyed on February 16, 2021, during a landing failure. The incident was described as a "hard landing," and subsequent analysis attributed the failure to component fatigue causing an early shutdown of a Merlin engine. According to a Spaceflight Now report, this engine issue led to the landing failure that resulted in the booster's destruction. This marked the end of B1059's service in SpaceX's fleet of reusable boosters.

### Position in Fleet Sequence
In SpaceX's booster serial numbering system, B1059 followed B1058 and was followed by B1060. This sequential numbering helps track the history and lifecycle of individual boosters in SpaceX's rapidly growing fleet of reusable first-stage boosters.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "B1059",
  "description": "SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage booster destroyed during a landing failure",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105940036"],
  "additionalType": "Falcon 9 Block 5 booster",
  "manufacturer": "SpaceX",
  "serialNumber": "B1059",
  "countryOfOrigin": "United States",
  "dissolvedDate": "2021-02-16",
  "dissolvedReason": "Hard landing during recovery attempt"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/03/01/component-fatigue-caused-early-shutdown-of-merlin-engine-on-last-spacex-launch/)