SpaceX’ Falcon 9 Debris Rains Down Over Poland — Here’s What We Know

On 19 February, SpaceX Falcon 9 debris made an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere over Poland. The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) confirmed that the rocket stage remnants blazed across the sky between 04:46 and 04:48, primarily affecting airspace above Poznań.

Space Debris Found In Warehouse And Forest

Polish authorities confirmed that a 1.5-meter by 1-meter (5 feet by 3 feet) chunk of unidentified material was discovered on the grounds of a warehouse early Wednesday morning. Hours later, a similar-sized object was found in a nearby forest just a few kilometres away.

Fortunately, no casualties or structural damage were reported. However, the event has reignited discussions about the risks of uncontrolled rocket stage reentries.

Which Other Countries Witnessed The Space Debris?

Ultimately, reports of sightings of the flying debris came from Denmark, Sweden, and England.

“I immediately thought of a sci-fi movie where it looked like a troop formation about to attack,” Simon Eriksson, a worker from Malmo told the Swedish state broadcaster.

While fragments of the rocket fell in Poland, experts suggest that additional debris may have also landed in Ukraine.

Was It Actually Falcon 9 Debris?

According to the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), a stage of the Falcon 9 R/B rocket made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The rocket was part of SpaceX’s Starlink Group 11-4 mission, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on 1st February.

The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) and local authorities are currently investigating the incident.

“POLSA is in constant contact with the police. We already have photos of the objects that fell near Poznan. The POLSA Space Security Department will verify the object with SpaceX,” the agency stated.

Designed to deploy Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, the Falcon 9 stage ultimately re-entered without guidance, leading to unexpected fallout. POLSA spokeswoman Agnieszka Gapys confirmed that the agency was in contact with SpaceX to assess the situation, as reported by the PAP news agency.