NASA has confirmed that debris found in the mountains of North Carolina is the remains of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon hardware, which re-entered the atmosphere in May 2024.
The largest piece of debris was found on a hiking trail at a mountaintop resort on May 22. It was about the size of a standard car hood and covered in a carbon fiber fabric. In the weeks following the discovery, several smaller pieces were also found in residents’ yards throughout the region. A map posted on X by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, which plotted the reentry of the “fuselage,” or service module, of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission, suggested that this particular Crew Dragon hardware was likely responsible for the mess. However, it was not until June 20, 2024 that NASA confirmed that the debris was indeed from a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
“SpaceX has confirmed to NASA the return of the Dragon spacecraft fuselage hardware following its servicing missions to the International Space Station,” said a statement emailed to western North Carolina journalist Justin Berger.
The fuselage, as SpaceX calls it, is an unpressurized section at the rear of the Dragon spacecraft that has fins for aerodynamic control in emergency aborts, can carry cargo or small satellites, and is equipped with solar panels that power the spacecraft during flight or when docking with the International Space Station.
Related: Space junk from the SpaceX Dragon capsule crashed in the North Carolina mountains. I had to see it (video)
NASA’s statement confirming the debris’ origins said the debris’ reentry over North Carolina was not the only recent example of a Dragon debris surviving its fiery return through Earth’s atmosphere.
“Most recently, the rockets supporting SpaceX’s 30th commercial resupply and Crew-7 missions re-entered over Saudi Arabia and North Carolina, respectively,” the statement continued.
According to NASA’s statement, the Crew Dragon fuselage had been predicted to burn up completely upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. However, this and several other pieces of debris that have fallen recently indicate that this is clearly not the case.
“NASA and SpaceX will continue to explore additional solutions as we learn from the debris discovered,” the statement continued.
In recent years, several other similar-looking pieces of debris have been found, also believed to be from SpaceX Dragon rocket reentries. In May 2024, a large piece of debris was found in a farmer’s field in Saskatchewan, Canada, and before that, another piece fell in the Australian outback in August 2022. “NASA is not aware of any structural damage or injuries resulting from these finds,” the agency wrote.
Notably, NASA is currently facing a lawsuit seeking financial compensation related to ISS-specific space debris that crashed into a family’s home in Florida. That space debris was not related to SpaceX hardware, but rather to a battery pack jettisoned from the ISS that was originally intended to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. The family is seeking damages from the agency. The outcome of the case could also impact how public and private space companies handle future space debris incidents.