SpaceX debris enters atmosphere over Poland: Agency
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An unidentified object on the ground in Komorniki, near the city of Poznan, Poland.
PHOTOS: REUTERS
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WARSAW - Debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off in the United States on Feb 1 entered the Earth’s atmosphere over Poland on Feb 19, the Polish space agency said.
A 1.5m by 1m chunk from an unidentified object was found near the western city of Poznan, but no casualties or damage was reported, police said.
The Polish Space Agency (Polsa) said a stage of the Falcon 9 R/B rocket made “an uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere” at about 0346 GMT (11.46am in Singapore).
It said the rocket was part of a Space X Starlink Group launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Feb 1.
The launch was to put Starlink satellites into a low-level orbit.
The debris left spectacular luminous trails visible in the sky in western Poland, witnesses said.
According to police, the chunk of debris was found in the grounds of a warehouse near Poznan.
A police spokesman, Mr Lukasz Paterski, said police and firefighters were working to find the origin of the debris.
He said it was possible the object came from a SpaceX rocket.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites in 2022.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Polsa spokeswoman Agnieszka Gapys said the agency was speaking with SpaceX, which is controlled by Mr Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, about the debris, PAP news agency reported.
Polish media said the composite material found near Poznan resembled a Falcon 9 fuel tank. AFP
