SpaceX: This is What Happened to Booster 10 During IFT 3 Landing, Engine Failure or Grid Fin?

The third Starship launch was a highly anticipated event. After months of waiting, the launch finally took place. As the Ship continued to climb to space, the Booster initiated its flip maneuver, performed by the three engines that remained active after Most Engines Cut Off or MECO. This flip also marked the beginning of the boost back phase. Unlike in the second mission, the prototype successfully reignited ten engines from the second ring of Raptors. This maneuver allowed the Booster to navigate back towards its designated landing site, a point in the Gulf of Mexico located about 30 kilometers or 18.6 miles from the shore. The boost back ended with an engine shutdown 55 seconds later. At first sight, the burn appeared to be a complete success. But if we look a little closer at the shutdown sequence, there may have been some issues. Raptors began to shut down in a circular pattern, but for some reason, that sequence paused for a few seconds before the rest of the engines were turned off. This might’ve been a simple telemetry glitch, but it’s worth considering when looking at what happened next. As Booster 10 was near its apogee, it began a slow reorientation to the landing position using its vents, which also act as thrusters. Less than two minutes later, Super Heavy was just 50 kilometers or 30 miles above the surface. At this altitude, the atmosphere is dense enough for grid fins actually to have an effect on the rocket. The descent phase looked a bit violent, although this is also something we can sometimes observe during Falcon 9 landings. To perform a soft water landing, Booster 10 was supposed to reignite some of its engines and use them to decelerate to just eight meters or 26 feet per second. That’s not really what happened. The ignition sequence started just one kilometer or 0.6 miles above the water with the firing of one Raptor center, followed by two engines from the second ring. This wasn’t even close to enough thrust to slow the Booster down. Instead of touching down at eight meters or 26 feet per second, Super Heavy smashed into the Gulf of Mexico at a speed of over 300 meters or almost a thousand feet per second if the telemetry was correct. Technically, you can call this a water landing! Just not a soft one. For Educational Purpose Only. Followed YouTube’s fair usage policy when reusing content for this video: All the videos, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. Image Credits: SpaceX NASA Video Credits: SpaceX NickHenning3D Ryan Hansen Space C-Bass Productions #starshiplaunch #spacex #starship #starshipexplosion #starshipift3 #starshipspacex #starshiplaunchlive