The trunk is at the base of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, below where the astronauts sit, and is usually used to transport cargo. It is covered with solar panels that provide power “in flight and while on station,” according to SpaceX’s website.
That section of the vehicle is jettisoned just before the capsule re-enters Earth’s atmosphere. NASA said the luggage was expected to burn up completely in the atmosphere, but its discovery, along with several others, suggest that parts of the vehicle are able to survive the fiery journey.
SpaceX did not immediately return a request for comment.
The part Clontz found was carbonized and covered in carbon fiber. It weighs about 90 pounds — too heavy and big for a person to hold — and he said he wasn’t sure at first if it was safe to touch.
“It’s something you don’t normally see,” Clontz said. “I’ve seen spaceships and things on TV, but the average person doesn’t get to see them up close.”
Several 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 injury resulting from these findings.”
NASA said the debris was from SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission, which launched into space on August 26, 2023, then returned after a six-month expedition to the space station.
Last month, a piece of suspected trunk debris from a separate SpaceX mission was found in a farmer’s field in Saskatchewan, Canada, according to NASA.
An uncrewed SpaceX mission to deliver supplies to the space station also resulted in debris falling over Saudi Arabia, the agency said.
Debris from a Crew Dragon trunk landed in Colorado last year, and a similar incident occurred in 2022 in Australia, NASA said.
A 1.6-kilogram piece of metallic space debris — though not from a SpaceX vehicle — plowed into a home in Naples, Florida, in March. It came from a cargo pallet that had been deliberately dropped from the International Space Station.
The Florida family that owns the home is suing NASA for the damage, and claims the incident also caused them emotional distress.
In response to questions about that 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 lawsuit.”
It’s common for space agencies and companies to let defunct hardware burn up in the atmosphere, but occasionally some pieces survive reentry. Although it is rare for space debris to fall on populated areas, given that most of the planet is covered by ocean, recent events raise questions about whether this risk could increase as space launches become more frequent. frequent.
NASA said that if people come across what they suspect is SpaceX debris, they can contact the company’s debris hotline (1-866-623-0234 or recovery@spacex.com).
A Crew Dragon capsule – with its cargo area attached – is currently parked on 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 debris discovered.”
“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 has sought to acquire it, he said.
“Every time I go to look at it, I think how beautiful it is,” Clontz said. “To think that it took off from Florida, went into outer space and came back and a piece of it flew right over North Carolina, it’s pretty cool.”