The SpaceX issue is a bit lame. They lost a booster due to a mishap that happened at sea, the first incident in a couple of years. No one was at risk due to the accident. No private property was destroyed, other than the rocket booster and perhaps some damage to the SpaceX-owned ocean-going landing platform.

I can't help but wonder if this was done so as to save face with the Boeing crowd: "See, we also nailed SpaceX for screwing up."

OCU

Note that this particular booster, this was IT'S 23rd flight. I suspect that SpaceX more than broke even on the life-cycle cost. But the point is that if SpaceX had just allowed this boosters to crash into the ocean, like every OTHER launch system currently in use, there would have been no issue whatsoever. BTW, occasionally SpaceX does not attempt to recover a booster, usually when the flight operation requires the use of all the fuel onboard, generally for a heavier payload or one that needs to be inserted to a higher orbit, but in those instances, the client has to pay the full cost of the booster since there's no 'refund' for turning-in the old one.

OCU