A blackened material block, 3 meters high, is believed to be debris left over after the SpaceX spacecraft re-entered and fell in a sheep pasture near Dalgety on July 8.
One of the debris pieces found in the sheep pasture. Photo: Brad Tucker/Twitter
SpaceX has not confirmed whether the debris belongs to the Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft, which successfully landed in the ocean on May 2, 2021. Space debris tracking expert Jonathan McDowell concluded on July 29 that Dalgety lies beneath the expected re-entry trajectory of the unpressurized body that was ejected when the Dragon spacecraft was returning to Earth, according to Space. McDowell stated that images show the debris came from one of the fins on the spacecraft’s body. This fin aids aerodynamics during the launch phase of the mission. Astrophysicist Brad Tucker also confirmed this information with Space.
Sheep farmer Mick Miners discovered the 3-meter high object in the field on July 25 and was unsure of what it was. After calling his neighbor Jock Wallace, Miners learned that Wallace had encountered several other debris pieces on his land on July 21. Wallace reported this to the local civil aviation authority, and they advised him to contact NASA for further information.
The spacecraft’s body is designed to carry unpressurized cargo into space while also supporting the Crew Dragon during launch, according to SpaceX. Half of the body includes solar panels that provide power to the Crew Dragon while the spacecraft is in flight or docked with the International Space Station (ISS). The body separates from the spacecraft shortly before re-entry.
The farm where the debris was found spans hundreds of hectares, making it take weeks to locate them. According to Tucker, from a distance, the debris looks like a charred log. Tucker is awaiting confirmation from SpaceX. If it is confirmed that the debris belongs to the Crew Dragon, this would be the largest piece of space debris in Australia since the Skylab station broke apart during its uncontrolled re-entry over the western region of the country in 1979.
The debris from SpaceX is relatively small compared to the nearly 30-meter-long core stage of China’s Long March 5B rocket, which is expected to fall to Earth this weekend. This is also not the first time SpaceX hardware has fallen back to the planet. Debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch in April 2021 was found on a farm in central Washington state.
