April 3, 2021
2 mins read

Debris of Falcon 9 lands on private farm in US

An expert said that re-entries of this kind into atmosphere happen every couple of weeks but it is “just unusual that it happens over a densely populated area”, reports Asian Lite News

In a bizarre incident, a farm owner in the US was left in shock when a pressure vessel from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fell on his property in Washington State, leaving a “4-inch dent in the soil.”

In a normal course, most second stage parts either hang out in orbit for years or re-enter Earth over the ocean.

Also Read – SpaceX Crew Dragon Opens New Era

The debris was identified as Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) from the breakup of a Falcon 9 second stage over Oregon and Washington State on March 26, reports The Verge, quoting local officials.

The stage re-entered the atmosphere in an unusual spot in the sky after sending a payload of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to orbit.

The farm owner in Grant County, Washington State, found the pressure vessel and reported it to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

“Neither the property owner nor our sergeant is rocket scientist, of course, but judging from what had happened a few days prior, it looked to them like it was possibly debris from the Falcon 9 reentry,” Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kyle Foreman was quoted as saying in the report.

Also Read – Russia ‘interested’ in Elon Musk’s offer

A sergeant then called Elon Musk-run SpaceX, which confirmed the remnant of the rocket belonged to the company and dispatched its workers to retrieve the debris.

“Of course, we didn’t have a protocol for this, so we just erred on the side of returning someone’s property to them,” Foreman said.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

A COPV is a part of the Falcon 9’s second stage, the smaller section of the rocket that detaches from the main stage at the edge of space and boosts satellites farther from Earth.

The COPV stores helium at pressures of nearly 6,000psi, which is used to pressurise the second stage’s large tanks of propellant.

Also Read – Musk keeps his ‘Indian promise’

According to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, re-entries of this kind happen every couple of weeks but it is “just unusual that it happens over a densely populated area”.

Previous Story

STUDY: Potato chips may damage Kidney

Next Story

Members of Iran nuclear deal to convene in Vienna

Latest from -Top News

WAVES 2025: Jaishankar Advocates Cultural Pluralism

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a powerful address at the WAVES 2025 Global Media Dialogue, highlighting the significance of cultural pluralism in shaping global change. Speaking on the second day of

India Eyes Supply Chain Shift

India’s electronics manufacturing sector is undergoing a remarkable transformation, positioning the country as a major global hub for production and supply chain diversification. Riding on favourable government policies, geopolitical tailwinds, and a

Carney Confirms May 6 White House Visit

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Washington on May 6 for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump, just days after taking office following a contentious federal election. Speaking

Rubio Backs AfD, Slams Berlin

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly criticised Germany for officially classifying the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organisation, accusing the German government of undermining democracy under

India Bans All Pakistan Imports

In a sharp escalation of diplomatic hostilities, India has banned all direct and indirect imports from Pakistan with immediate effect, following the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Trump pushes high tariffs, onshoring; India could face impact

Trump made no mention of India or software or back

Harris hits Philly streets in final campaign push

In the predominantly Black area of West Philadelphia, Harris met