Piece of SpaceX Capsule Crashes to Earth in Australian Field

Piece of SpaceX Capsule Crashes to Earth in Australian Field

The expense of reaching space continues to drop, and that has led to an explosion in launches over the past few years. One of the most prolific is SpaceX, which has multiple NASA contracts and a network of internet satellites that regularly call for new launches. But not everything we send up there stays put. Residents of southern Australia were surprised recently to find debris from a SpaceX mission scattered across the landscape. An astrophysicist who was called in to investigate the wreckage said it was a first-of-its-kind discovery.

The debris crashed to Earth on July 9th, but a farmer living near Dalgety, New South Wales didn’t spot it until several weeks later. He initially believed the largest piece of wreckage was a dead tree because of how it jutted up from the ground. Local authorities contacted Dr. Brad Tucker of the Mt. Stromlo Observatory in Australia to inspect the find. Tucker has since posted a video (below) showing the spacecraft fragments up close.

According to Tucker, the material came from the cargo trunk of SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission. This flight was a major milestone, marking the first time SpaceX flew astronauts to the International Space Station on a regular, non-demonstration Dragon mission. The spacecraft launched on November 16, 2020, and remained at the station until May 2021. Before returning to Earth, the Dragon’s cargo trunk was jettisoned with the expectation it would eventually burn up in the atmosphere. And burn up it did.

Space agencies continued to track it in orbit as it was a potential hazard, but it was detected reentering the atmosphere over Australia in early July 2022. Local reports confirm the object broke up above Australia that day, and that’s how it came to skewer the ground near Dalgety. Tucker says that the piece sticking out of the ground, which is about three meters tall, is most likely one of the trunk fins. Tucker gets up close with the debris, showing the carbon mesh used to insulate the spacecraft. Several smaller pieces were found on an adjacent piece of land, but they weren’t stabbing the landscape.

Debris like this falls to Earth on a regular basis, but the pieces are usually smaller after crumbling under the intense heat of reentry. What’s left usually ends up in the ocean, which covers 70 percent of the planet’s surface. Lucky, because it looks like this fin could have skewered more than the ground. It’s rare to see anything this large land near a populated area. Tucker notes that he’s never seen a piece of space debris land like this.

Piece of SpaceX Capsule Crashes to Earth in Australian Field

We might see this more often in the future, though, as launches from SpaceX and others ramp up. The Australian Space Agency has asked anyone who finds additional debris to contact a hotline set up by SpaceX. There is currently no indication the materials are harmful.

Continue reading

Field-Tested: DJI’s New FPV Drone Brings VR to the Real World
Field-Tested: DJI’s New FPV Drone Brings VR to the Real World

If you've been in awe of drone racing and FPV stunt flying, but haven't been willing to spend the time and energy to build your own DIY solution, DJI has the answer for you. The new DJI FPV drone, headset, and controller comprise an integrated system. You do need to pony up some cash to get one, though.

New Image of Supermassive Black Hole Reveals Swirling Magnetic Fields
New Image of Supermassive Black Hole Reveals Swirling Magnetic Fields

The Event Horizon Telescope gave us the iconic 2019 image of a black hole, the first one ever produced. Now, the team has conducted new observations of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87, revealing magnetic field lines around the void.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Beams Back Stunning Selfie
NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Beams Back Stunning Selfie

NASA's shiny new Perseverance rover has been stealing the spotlight lately, but Curiosity is still on Mars, too. This aging robot is still young and hip enough to take a selfie — hell, Curiosity pioneered the rover selfie.

Google, Seagate AI Identifies Problem Hard Drives Before They Fail
Google, Seagate AI Identifies Problem Hard Drives Before They Fail

Google and Seagate have built an AI model to track which hard drives are more likely to fail than others, ideally before any of them have failed at all.