SYDNEY (AFP) – A charred chunk of space junk found jutting from a paddock by an Australian sheep farmer was confirmed to be part of one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX missions by authorities yesterday.
The ethereal-looking debris, believed to have plummeted to Earth on July 9, was found last week in Dalgety – a remote area near Australia’s Snowy Mountains, about five hours’ drive southwest of Sydney.
“It was kind of exciting and weird all in the same way,” said astrophysicist Brad Tucker, who visited the site last month.
He said that finding the large chunk embedded in an empty field reminded him of something out of the sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey. “It’s astounding to see it.”
Australia’s space agency confirmed the debris had come from one of Musk’s missions in a statement and told locals to report any further finds to SpaceX.
“The Agency has confirmed the debris is from a SpaceX mission and continues to engage with our counterparts in the United States (US), as well as other parts of the Commonwealth and local authorities as appropriate,” an Australian Space Agency spokesman said.
Tucker said the piece was part of a trunk jettisoned by the earlier Crew-1 capsule when it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in 2021.
