That’s No Aircraft Debris . . . That’s Part of a SpaceX Rocket

By SAM WALKER
THE OUTER BANKS VOICE

For the second time in a year, a piece of debris from a rocket launch on the Florida coast has washed up along the Outer Banks.

On Sunday, Angie and Chris Langdon first alerted us to the debris near Ramp 67 on Ocracoke Island.

Janille Turner of Ocracoke was the first to discover it washed up on Saturday, and sent us pictures Monday of the Park Service removing it from the beach.

SpaceX, the private space transportation services company founded by Elon Musk, confirmed Monday to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Chief Ranger Boone Vandzura that it was “hardware” from one of its rockets.

Last October, a 15-foot long section of a SpaceX rocket launched from Cape Canaveral washed up off Hatteras village.

National Park Service maintenance staff hauled off the latest find Monday morning, and SpaceX “was making arrangements to dispose of it appropriately,” Vandzura said.

While it was not yet known what rocket the debris came from, the most recent launch from Florida by SpaceX was on Sept. 10.

A Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Telstar 18 VANTAGE satellite into orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The first stage of the Falcon 9 successfully returned to Earth, landing on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX media relations had not replied to an email inquiry Monday evening from The Outer Banks Voice about the latest discovery.