SpaceX Falcon-9 debris suspected of being meteor recovered in Washington

The debris of SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket that did not have a successful deorbit burn on March 25 has been recovered from a private property in Washington state. Washington’s skies were lit-up with bright meteor-like objects last week but the specifics were not immediately clear. It was later reported that the objects were debris from the Falcon-9 rocket that did not burn properly upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Seattle’s National Weather Service said that unofficial information indicates the widely reported bright objects were debris from SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket. 

Pressure vessel confused as meteor 

On Friday, the Grant County Sheriff's Department noted that a part of the debris has been recovered from a property in the southwest. According to the Grant County Sheriff Department, the debris has been collected by SpaceX. The five-feet tall debris fell on the property and left a 5-6 inches deep mark. Grant County Sheriff’s public information officer informed that no person was harmed and no damage has been reported after the incident. The object found on the private property appears to be the pressure tank that contains helium. 

SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket is a reusable two-stage payload delivery shuttle that puts objects into space. Falcon-9 rocket’s first stage is designed to return back to the ground after pushing the second stage into orbit to deliver the payload. However, it is believed that the first stage of the rocket did have a successful deorbit burn and could have given an impression of meteor-like objects shining bright in the night skies. SpaceX has not commented on the matter as of yet. 

SpaceX had launched 60 Starlink satellites on March 24 using a Falcon-9 reusable rocket. The company has not confirmed if the debris found at a private property in Washington belongs to the Falcon-9 rocket. According to The Associated Press, the debris was found on a farm, the owner of which reported it to the police. The sheriff department then contacted SpaceX and the company confirmed it to be part of the rocket. 

(Image Credit: Twitter/GrantCountySheriff/AP)