SpaceX loses the Falcon Heavy's center core after it fell into the ocean

So close! SpaceX LOSES the Falcon Heavy's center core after it fell into the ocean while being towed back to land, despite perfect touchdown on the drone ship days prior The rocket's center core fell into the ocean as a result of 'eight to ten foot swells' Core landed successfully on the drone ship but wasn't tethered to the base SpaceX landed all three cores after the Falcon Heavy's second-ever launch 

By Annie Palmer For Dailymail.com

Published: 23:37 BST, 15 April 2019 | Updated: 23:38 BST, 15 April 2019

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SpaceX says it lost the Falcon Heavy's center core after 'rough sea conditions' caused it to topple over as it was being transported back to the Florida coast. 

Elon Musk's rocket company managed to make history on Thursday when it landed three boosters back on Earth for the first time, following the Falcon Heavy megarocket's successful second launch into space. 

But as ocean swells continued to rise, wave heights caused the center core to fall off of the company's drone ship, dubbed 'Of Course I Still Love You,' which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Verge. 

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SpaceX says it lost the Falcon Heavy's center core (pictured) after 'rough sea conditions' caused it to topple over as it was being transported back to the Florida coast

SpaceX says it lost the Falcon Heavy's center core (pictured) after 'rough sea conditions' caused it to topple over as it was being transported back to the Florida coast

'Over the weekend, due to rough sea conditions, SpaceX's recovery team was unable to secure the center booster for its return trip to Port Canaveral,' SpaceX said in a statement. 

'As conditions worsened with eight to ten foot swells, the booster began to shift and ultimately was unable to remain upright. 

'While we had hoped to bring the booster back intact, the safety of our team always takes precedence. We do not expect future missions to be impacted,' the firm added. 

The core wasn't tethered to the drone ship, causing it to be lost at sea.

SpaceX does have a mechanism, called the 'octograbber,' which is located on Of Course I Still Love You that can aid in the process of recovering rocket parts. 

The robot, designed to secure rocket boosters after they land, isn't capable

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