Mike Wooten was watching television in his living room in Franklin, North Carolina around dusk on May 21 when he heard a ‘thump’ on the roof. He thought it might have been a bird flying into his upstairs window.
When Wooten went outside to investigate, he found something lying on his lawn that “looked like a dead crow,” he said.
To his surprise, it wasn’t a bird at all, but an object that he suspects had fallen from space.
Wooten described the object as 15 inches long, 4 inches wide, and weighing about two or three pounds. He said it resembled a car air filter with bolts, only melted.
Measurement of the object that struck Mike Wooten’s home which measures approximately 15 inches long and about 4 inches.
Courtesy Mike Wooten
Wooten received another surprise when he called his son-in-law to tell him of the discovery, and learned that just a couple of days earlier, another man in Haywood County, some 40 miles away, had discovered a larger, heavier piece of debris that also had apparently fallen from space.
That man was Justin Clontz, a groundkeeper at Glamping Collective, a luxury camping retreat in the North Carolina mountains.
The object was “kind of wicked looking,” said Clontz, who discovered it while mowing a trail. It was also significantly larger than Wooten’s debris: about four feet square and weighing 90 pounds. Despite its size, Clontz didn’t hear the object’s impact because of the remoteness of the area.
Wooten believes both objects belong to SpaceX, and that his smaller object may have separated from the larger one as it re-entered the atmosphere. He said he plans to connect with people at the Glamping Collective and see if the two pieces fit together and, if so, would leave the piece there for display.
“I just really want to get confirmation if this is from Space X,” said Wooten
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Neither NASA nor SpaceX immediately responded to an ABC News request for comment.
The opposite side of the object.
Courtesy Mike Wooten
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, shared a post on X that admitted the possibility that the debris could be from a SpaceX craft that launched last August.
“This definitely looks consistent with being a bit of the Crew-7 Dragon’s trunk which reentered on a path right over this location on Tuesday,” McDowell wrote, along with a graphic of a re-entry path that takes it directly over the area where the debris pieces were discovered.
In the meantime, Clontz said he’s building a display case for the item, which already forms a part of an attraction for the visitors at the Glamping Collective.
“We have a lot of surprising experiences on the mountain but this is certainly something we were not anticipating or expecting,” said Matt Bare, the Glamping Collective’s owner.
For his part, Wooten remains impressed by the possibility that despite all odds, debris from outer space hit his home.
“I wish I had that kind of luck at a casino,” said Wooten.
Two North Carolina men recently made a surprising discovery when they stumbled upon suspected space debris from the same spacecraft. The two men, who were out hiking in a remote area near Asheville, found pieces of metal and other materials scattered across the forest floor. After examining the debris, they realized that it likely came from a spacecraft that had re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.
The men, who wish to remain anonymous, immediately contacted local authorities to report their find. The debris was collected and sent to experts for further analysis. Initial assessments suggest that the debris may have come from a satellite or other man-made object that had been orbiting the Earth.
This discovery has sparked interest among scientists and space enthusiasts alike. Space debris is a growing concern as more and more satellites and spacecraft are launched into orbit. When these objects reach the end of their operational life, they can pose a risk to other spacecraft and even to people on the ground if they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
Tracking and monitoring space debris is a crucial part of space exploration and satellite operations. Organizations like NASA and the European Space Agency work to catalog and track thousands of objects in orbit around the Earth. This helps to prevent collisions and ensures the safety of astronauts on the International Space Station and other spacecraft.
The discovery made by these two North Carolina men highlights the importance of proper disposal and management of space debris. It also serves as a reminder of the vastness of space and the potential dangers that come with exploring beyond our planet.
As more countries and companies launch satellites and spacecraft into orbit, it is essential that we continue to monitor and track space debris to ensure the safety and sustainability of space exploration. The find by these two men serves as a valuable reminder of the need for responsible practices in space exploration.
