Sheriff’s office confirms SpaceX debris found in Washington state

Debris from a SpaceX rocket was recovered in Washington state last week and reclaimed by the space-exploration company, according to a local sheriff’s office.

The confirmation comes after pieces of the rocket plunged through the atmosphere in the Pacific Northwest last week, lighting up the sky with comet-like streaks that were documented by numerous users on social media.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office tweeted confirmation of the material on Friday, writing, “SpaceX recovered a Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel from last week’s Falcon 9 re-entry.”

The sheriff’s office did not provide additional information about the debris’s location or impact.

“Media and treasure hunters: we are not disclosing specifics. The property owner simply wants to be left alone,” they tweeted.

SpaceX recovered a Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel from last week’s Falcon 9 re-entry. It was found on private property in southwest Grant County this week. Media and treasure hunters: we are not disclosing specifics. The property owner simply wants to be left alone. pic.twitter.com/dEIQAotItY

— Grant County Sheriff (@GrantCoSheriff) April 2, 2021

The pieces were found on private property, and did not cause damage besides a 4- to 5-inch impact mark in the ground, according to NBC News. 

SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, is receiving two contracts valued at nearly $160 million from the Pentagon to launch two of its Falcon 9 rockets.

Musk has set a goal of sending 1 million people to Mars by 2050.