Watch: When SpaceX laughs at itself while teaching how not to land an orbital rocket booster
What’s that they say about failure being the stepping stone to success?
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk isn’t afraid of admitting mistakes. In fact, SpaceX has just released (above) what could very well be the most epic compilation of “fail” videos on the internet.
The supercut has been aptly titled How Not To Land An Orbital Rocket Booster. SpaceX’s blooper reel, set to John Philip Sousa’s The Liberty Bell, showcases the many things that can go wrong. Those things may include:
- Engine censor failure, leading to a mid-air explosion.
- Running out of hydraulic fluid, leading to surface explosion.
- Sticky throttle valve, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.
- Landing leg collapse, leading to surface explosion.
- Running out of propellant, leading to surface explosion.
It was only in December 2015, after some 13 failures, that SpaceX was able to conduct its first successful landing on, well, land. In April 2016, it also accomplished its first successful droneship landing. And having pulled off 16 successful booster landings now, SpaceX wants the world to know that behind every successful rocket launch, there are many, many failures.