The Falcon 9 first stage designated B1086 was lost due to a fuel leak, as confirmed by SpaceX following an incident on March 2. During the Starlink 12-20 mission, the booster successfully landed on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship approximately 8 minutes and 15 seconds post-launch. However, on March 3, SpaceX reported that a fire resulted in the loss of the stage, beginning with a fuel leak in one of the nine engines roughly 85 seconds after liftoff. The leak subsequently came into contact with oxygen about 45 seconds after the booster’s landing. Engineers are currently investigating the precise source of the leak. This incident underscores the complexities and risks associated with reusability in rocket technology as SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink satellite constellation, which now exceeds 8,000 units in low Earth orbit.
