The summary
- Last month, a large piece of space debris was discovered in North Carolina.
- NASA has confirmed it came from a SpaceX capsule that traveled to the International Space Station and returned in March.
- The piece came from a part of the vehicle that was discarded and expected to burn up in the atmosphere. But its discovery and several others suggest such parts could survive the journey, NASA said.
NASA has confirmed that a large piece of space debris discovered last month on a mountain trail in North Carolina came from a SpaceX capsule en route to the International Space Station.
The debris was found in late May by a worker at The Glamping Collective, a luxury mountaintop resort in Haywood County, near Asheville.
“It looked kind of scary,” said Justin Clontz, who does grounds maintenance for the collective and found the slab.
According to NASA, the roughly 3-foot (90-centimeter) piece came from the “trunk,” or service module, of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that brought four astronauts home from the International Space Station on March 12.
The trunk, located at the base of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, beneath where the astronauts sit, is typically used to transport cargo. It is covered in solar panels that provide power “during flight and on station,” according to SpaceX’s website.
That part of the vehicle is jettisoned shortly before the capsule reenters Earth’s atmosphere. NASA said the trunk was expected to burn up completely in the atmosphere, but the discovery, along with several others, suggests parts of the vehicle may survive the fiery journey.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The piece Clontz found was charred and covered in carbon fiber fabric. It weighs about 90 pounds — too bulky and large for one person to carry — and he said he wasn’t sure at first if it was safe to touch.
“It’s just something you don’t normally see,” Clontz said. “I’ve seen spaceships and things like that on TV, but the average person doesn’t get to see it up close.”
Some smaller pieces of debris were also found in the yards of two residents in nearby towns, according to local news reports.
In its statement, NASA said it was “not aware of any structural damage or injuries resulting from these findings.”
According to NASA, the debris came from SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission, which launched into space on August 26, 2023, and then returned to the space station after a six-month expedition.
Last month, a piece of suspected debris from a separate SpaceX mission was found in a farm field in Saskatchewan, Canada, according to NASA.
An unmanned SpaceX mission to deliver supplies to the space station also sent debris into Saudi Arabia, the agency said.
Debris from a Crew Dragon suitcase also landed in Colorado last year, and a similar incident occurred in Australia in 2022, NASA said.
A 1.6-pound piece of metallic space debris—but not from a SpaceX vehicle—tore through a house in Naples, Florida, in March. It came from a cargo pallet that was intentionally released from the International Space Station.
The Florida family that owns the home has sued NASA over the damage. According to them, the incident also caused emotional stress.
In response to questions about the lawsuit, Jimi Russell, a public affairs officer for NASA’s space operations, said in an email that it “would not be appropriate for NASA to comment on a pending claim.”
It’s common for space agencies and companies to burn up defunct hardware in the atmosphere, but occasionally some pieces survive reentry. While it’s rare for space debris to fall over populated areas, given that most of the planet is covered in ocean, recent events raise questions about whether that risk could increase as space launches become more common.
NASA said if people suspect space debris has been found, they can contact the company’s debris hotline (1-866-623-0234 or recovery@spacex.com).
A Crew Dragon capsule — with its trunk attached — is currently parked at the International Space Station. NASA said the spacecraft is expected to return to Earth with its crew later this summer.
The agency said it plans to work with SpaceX to “explore additional solutions as we learn from the discovered debris.”
“NASA and SpaceX remain committed to protecting the public, astronauts and ground crews,” the agency said.
Clontz said the piece of space junk is now on display at The Glamping Collective behind a glass case. So far, neither SpaceX nor NASA have asked to pick it up, he said.
“Every time I look at it I think how cool it is,” Clontz said. “The idea that it launched from Florida, went into space and came back and flew a chunk of it over North Carolina is pretty cool.”