Space junk, it turns out, can be a tourist attraction.
The Glamping Collective in North Carolina was recently on the receiving end of leftovers from the SpaceX Dragon Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
On May 22, a member of the Glamping Collective landscaping crew discovered the space junk. "The debris was discovered about a half mile up our Sunset Summit Trail," according to a Collective posting. "We invite you to come experience this yourself!"
In early June, the Clyde, North Carolina-based organization began displaying the space debris.
"The Glamping Collective has long been known as an incredible place to enjoy the night sky and stargazing! The Milky Way galaxy can even be seen around our fire pits, or on the Sunset Summit Trail on clear summer nights," the organization wrote.
NASA later confirmed the reentry of the Dragon spacecraft trunk hardware following its service mission to the ISS.
"Most recently, the trunks that supported SpaceX's 30th commercial services resupply and Crew-7 missions reentered over Saudi Arabia and North Carolina, respectively," NASA officials wrote in a statement emailed to Western North Carolina journalist Justin Berger. "NASA is unaware of any structural damage or injuries resulting from these findings."
SpaceX hotline
For its part, SpaceX has established a "SpaceX debris hotline" as well as a "recovery@spaceX.com" email address.
"If you believe you have identified a piece of debris, please do not attempt to handle or retrieve the debris directly. Instead, please either email or leave a voicemail here with your name, number and a brief description of what you have discovered and where," the hotline's voicemail message explains.
"Teams are actively monitoring both message boxes and will ensure the notification is handled appropriately," the recording adds. "If you have concerns about an immediate hazard, please contact your local law enforcement agency. Thank you. Your assistance is greatly appreciated."
For more details on the North Carolina space junk fall, as well as other findings of Dragon trunk deliverables in Canada and Australia, please see my stories here, here, here and here.
