Saskatchewan Farmer Discovers Space Debris in Field: Piece of Space Junk Falls From the Sky

Barry Sawchuk typically focuses on farming rather than space exploration.

The 66-year-old farmer from Saskatchewan was surprised to discover a large piece of debris in his fields, which turned out to be part of a rocket.

“It’s not every day you find space junk in your field,” Sawchuk said jokingly while sitting in his tractor.

While checking the moisture levels in his fields in late April, Sawchuk noticed the unusual item.

As he approached it, he was perplexed by its appearance.

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He described it as a burnt piece of carbon fibre with aluminum honeycomb in between, noting a hydraulic cylinder in the debris.

This discovery was unlike anything his family had encountered on their land before.

“We knew it fell from the sky because it couldn’t have landed there on its own,” Sawchuk stated.

After some research, one of his sons concluded it was space debris.

The family found it amusing and discussed it with a local newspaper, speculating about its connection to outer space.

Photos of the find reached Samantha Lawler, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina.

She confirmed it was indeed space junk and forwarded the details to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard who monitors space launches.

Based on the data, McDowell linked the object to a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that had returned to Earth in February with passengers from the International Space Station.

SpaceX did not provide any comments on the matter.

The Transportation and Safety Board of Canada verified that the object could not be explained by aircraft activity.

Lawler explained that the SpaceX Dragon capsule is used to transport individuals to the space station, and the unpressurized cargo space called the trunk provides power during the journey and while docked at the station. The trunk is separated before re-entry but sometimes does not completely disintegrate.

Similar incidents have occurred in Australia in 2022 and Washington State the previous year.

Lawler anticipates more space debris falling globally as private companies expand their activities in space. The increasing number of satellites in orbit poses challenges for tracking space junk accurately.

While Sawchuk remains unfazed by the event, Lawler continues her research on satellite proliferation and its impact on various scientific disciplines.

“It’s surreal that a piece of junk fell so close to where I live,” Lawler remarked. “It’s a wake-up call.”

For Sawchuk, farming remains his primary focus. “We grow grain,” he said simply.