GRANT COUNTY, Wash. — Residents of the Pacific Northwest were shocked last week as a streak of bright orange lights illuminated the sky on Thursday, March 25. Since then, it’s been confirmed that this occurrence was the result of a failed re-entry by a Space X rocket — Falcon 9.
Now, residents in Grant County were left to pick up the pieces. According to a Facebook post by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Space X officials recovered a “Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel,” which is designed to contain fluids under high pressure like re-entry into the planet’s orbit.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said that the Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel was recovered on private property located in the southwest region of Grant County. However, the Sherriff’s office is not disclosing any further information regarding the incident on the landowner. Officials say that the property owner simply wants to be done with this saga.
Reports from central OR and the Tri-Cities WA of lights/fire or meteorites in the sky this evening. It appears the phenomenon is the result of Falcon 9. #orwx#wawxhttps://t.co/g6gYTfbVu9
Space X was successful in its goal to launch several satellites into the sky. Where it fell short was upon re-entry as portions of the rocket were unable to withstand the descent, leading to the phenomenon of bits falling out of the sky. Experts suggest that the rocket was roughly 30 miles in the air at the time that many in the Pacific Northwest saw it.
This debris is falling back down to Earth, but at an extremely slow pace. While some of the debris is reaching the ground, like that which was recovered from Grant County, much of it has yet to be located.
