For rocket company SpaceX, 2016 was both the best of times and the worst of times. The company landed its orbital Falcon 9 rocket in April on an autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean—a captivating, unprecedented spectacle that promised a bright future for the trailblazing company.
But in September, during fueling for a pre-launch engine test, a problem with the fueling process led to an explosion of the rocket’s second stage. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle and its satellite payload were destroyed, and the company’s Florida-based launch facilities sustained major damage.
