![]() ![]() ![]() The only failure it had was it didn’t complete its de-orbit burn, so it didn’t come down when and where we expected it. It was actually launched about three weeks ago and it did exactly what it was supposed to do: it put satellites in orbit. This was the top end, what we call the second stage, of a Falcon 9 rocket. James Davenport, a research assistant professor for the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington, told NBC-affiliate KING 5 that these pictures show the "top end," or second stage, of the Falcon 9 rocket that failed to complete its de-orbit burn.ĭavenport: "We got a really good show tonight thanks to SpaceX. While SpaceX has yet to comment on these pictures, multiple astronomers have reached the conclusion that debris from the Falcon 9 caused this strange light show. SpaceX, a company founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has been using its Falcon 9 rocket to launch Starlink satellites into orbit. A meteor? A missile? A UFO?Īccording to the Seattle branch of the National Weather Service, the streak of light seen in the above-displayed media was caused by debris from the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket: Stoke Space raises $9.As these pictures were spread on social media, many people speculated about what could have possibly caused this strange sight. SpaceX launches 57 stealth satellites for Starlink network, plus a pair for BlackSky SpaceX aces fiery rehearsal of worst-case scenario for Crew Dragon spaceflights ![]() More from GeekWire:Įxpert skywatchers quickly solve Pacific Northwest’s meteor mystery That led to a redesign of the tank to make it sturdier - and arguably, more likely to survive re-entry. This isn’t the first time a COPV tank has caused a rocket ruckus: Five years ago, a launch-pad anomaly that led the loss of a Falcon 9 rocket and its multimilllion-dollar satellite payload was traced to a COPV breach. (The first-stage booster, in contrast, flew itself back to a drone ship in the Atlantic minutes after launch, as planned.) But the second stage’s deorbit burn didn’t work out as planned, and so the fiery plunge occurred two weeks after launch, over Oregon and Washington state rather than the unobserved sea. If SpaceX’s Starlink satellite launch on March 4 had gone completely by the book, the pressure vessel would probably have fallen into the ocean without notice. COPVs are likely candidates to survive re-entry because they’re relatively lightweight and heat-resistant. They’re designed to hold the helium gas that’s used to pressurize propellant tanks. We’ve reached out to SpaceX and will update this report with anything we hear back.Ĭomposite-overwrapped pressure vessels, or COPVs, are standard components in Falcon 9 rockets. “The property owner simply wants to be left alone.” “Media and treasure hunters: we are not disclosing specifics,” it said. He was unaware of any other reports of fallen rocket debris - and in its tweet, the sheriff’s office made clear that it considered the case closed. “The sheriff’s office checked it out on Monday, and SpaceX staff came over on Tuesday and retrieved it,” Foreman said. Based on the reports about March 25’s meteor show, SpaceX’s rocket re-entry loomed as the likeliest cause for the commotion. Kyle Foreman, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told GeekWire that the property owner left a message reporting the debris last weekend. The atmospheric re-entry and breakup of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage created a fiery display in the skies above the Pacific Northwest a week ago, but not all of those shooting stars burned up on the way down.Īt least one big piece of the rocket - a roughly 5-foot-long composite-overwrapped pressure vessel - fell onto private property in southwest Grant County in Central Washington, the county sheriff’s office reported today in a tweet. The Falcon 9 pressure tank is loaded up for transport after recovery from a Grant County farm. ![]()
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