SpaceX Rocket Debris Lands on Washington Farm and Oregon Beach
Debris from SpaceX Rocket Found on Washington Farm
On a night in late March, residents of the Pacific Northwest witnessed mysterious streaks of light overhead. The unscheduled light show was later identified as debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that had launched earlier that month.
Most experts expected the rocket debris to disintegrate during re-entry, as the friction from falling through the atmosphere at high speeds typically burns man-made objects to ash. However, a few days after the debris lit up the sky, a large piece was discovered on a farm in Washington state.
The object, a Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV), is a tank that holds hydrogen at about 6,000 pounds per square inch to pressurize the propellant used in the rocket. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the property owner, who had found a four-inch-deep divot in the ground where the object had landed.
SpaceX has since retrieved the COPV from the Washington farm.
Similar Object Washes Ashore in Oregon
On April 10, another object resembling rocket debris washed up ashore in Oregon’s Lincoln County. The cylindrical canister, which is about the size of a wood palette, is also believed to be a COPV.
The object was first found by a fisherman and stored at a local business while authorities investigated. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue department determined that the object did not hold anything hazardous.
SpaceX has confirmed that the object appears consistent with a COPV, but it has not yet been definitively identified as a SpaceX vessel.
Falcon 9 Rocket Failure Led to Debris
The Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage rocket. The first stage is designed to return to Earth for reuse, while the second stage is usually left in orbit as space junk.
In this case, the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket failed to properly de-orbit. The exact cause of the failure is still under investigation.
Reentry of Rocket Debris
When a rocket reenters the Earth’s atmosphere, it experiences extreme heat and friction. This can cause the rocket to break up into smaller pieces, which can then land on the ground.
Dense pieces of the rocket, such as COPVs, are more likely to survive the descent. This is why the COPV found on the Washington farm left a four-inch-deep divot in the ground.
SpaceX Responds to Debris
SpaceX has been cooperating with authorities to retrieve the rocket debris. The company has also stated that it is committed to minimizing the impact of its operations on the environment.
Ongoing Investigation
Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of the Falcon 9 rocket failure. They are also looking into whether the object that washed ashore in Oregon is indeed a SpaceX vessel.
While reentries of rocket debris are not uncommon, it is unusual for them to occur over densely populated areas. This incident highlights the importance of SpaceX and other companies taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the public.