NASA has confirmed that pieces of debris found in the mountains of North Carolina are remnants of the SpaceX Crew Dragon hardware that re-entered the atmosphere in May 2024.
The largest piece of debris was found along a hiking trail in the mountain resort on May 22; it was about the size of a standard car hood and covered in carbon fiber webbing. In the weeks following this discovery, several smaller pieces were also found in residents’ yards throughout the region. A map sent to X by astronomer Jonathan McDowell that charted the return of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission’s “trunk,” or service module, suggested that this particular Crew Dragon hardware was likely responsible for the mess. However, it was not until June 20, 2024 that NASA confirmed that the debris was indeed from the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
“SpaceX has confirmed the re-entry of Dragon spacecraft hardware to NASA following servicing missions to NASA’s International Space Station,” Western North Carolina journalist Justin Berger said in an email.
The trunk, as SpaceX calls it, is a non-pressurized section on the tail of its Dragon spacecraft that has fins for aerodynamic control during emergency aborts, is capable of carrying cargo or small satellites, and is equipped with solar panels to provide power. spacecraft while in flight or docked to the International Space Station.
Related: Space debris from SpaceX’s Dragon capsule has crashed in the mountains of North Carolina. I had to go see it (video)
A NASA statement confirming the source of the debris pointed out that the return of the strain over North Carolina was not the only recent example of a dragon strain surviving its fiery return through Earth’s atmosphere.
“Most recently, the tribes that supported SpaceX’s 30th commercial resupply and Crew-7 mission re-entered Saudi Arabia and North Carolina,” the statement continued.
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A NASA statement says the Crew Dragon pod was predicted to burn up completely on reentry, but these and several other recent debris falls indicate that is clearly not the case.
“NASA and SpaceX will continue to explore other solutions as we learn from the discovered debris,” the statement added.
Several other similar-looking pieces of debris have been found in recent years, also believed to be from SpaceX Dragon returns. In May 2024, a large piece of debris was found in a farm field in Saskatchewan, Canada, and before that another piece fell in the Australian outback in August 2022. “NASA is not aware of any structural damage or injuries resulting from these findings,” he added. ” wrote the agency.
It should be noted that NASA is currently facing a claim for financial compensation related to ISS-specific space debris that crashed into a family home in Florida. This space debris was not related to SpaceX hardware, but rather to a battery jettisoned from the ISS that was originally supposed to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere; the family is asking the agency for damages. The outcome could also affect how public and private space companies handle future space debris incidents.