In a bizarre incident, a farm owner in the US was left in shock when a pressure vessel from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fell on his property in Washington state, leaving a “4-inch dent in the soil”. In a normal course, most second stage parts either hang out in orbit for years or re-enter Earth over the ocean.
The debris was identified as Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) from the break-up of a Falcon 9 second stage over Oregon and Washington state on March 26, quoting local officials. The stage re-entered the atmosphere in an unusual spot in the sky after sending a payload of SpaceX`s Starlink satellites to orbit. The farm owner in Grant County, Washington state, found the pressure vessel and reported it to the Grant County Sheriff`s Office. There was no damage, and it left a 4- to 5-inch impact mark in the ground, said Kyle Foreman, a public information officer for the sheriff’s department. SpaceX was notified about the incident. On March 25, streaks lit up the sky over Washington and Oregon. Some thought they were from a meteor or comet. SpaceX does not appear to have ever publicly confirmed that its rocket was involved.
