English Section

Falcon 9 over Poland: Fiery streak lights up the sky

19.02.2025 14:45
In the early hours of the morning, debris from a Falcon 9 rocket burning up in Earth's atmosphere was visible over Poland.
In the early hours of Wednesday, February 19, debris from a Falcon 9 rocket burning up in Earths atmosphere was visible over the Polish sky, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) confirmed. A composite tank-like object reportedly fell in the village of Komorniki, near Poznań in western Poland.
In the early hours of Wednesday, February 19, debris from a Falcon 9 rocket burning up in Earth's atmosphere was visible over the Polish sky, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) confirmed. A composite tank-like object reportedly fell in the village of Komorniki, near Poznań in western Poland.Photo: POLSA/X/@KarolWojcicki/@UAM_Poznan

UPDATE: More Falcon 9 debris falls in Poland

The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) confirmed that on Wednesday, February 19, between 4:46 – 4:48 AM, an uncontrolled reentry of a Falcon 9 rocket booster occurred over Polish airspace.

"The object in question, identified as FALCON 9 R/B with NORAD / COSPAR ID 62878 / 2025-022Y, was a roughly 4-ton booster from SpaceX’s Starlink Group 11-4 mission, which launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 1, 2025", according to POLSA’s official statement.

The reentry trajectory was known to POLSA and European agencies responsible for monitoring space debris risks.

At around 9 AM, Poznań police received reports that an object resembling a composite tank had fallen onto the premises of a company in the nearby village of Komorniki.

Authorities suspected it was part of the Falcon 9 rocket, a theory later confirmed by the Polish Space Agency.

No injuries were reported. Firefighters and bomb disposal experts remain on site.

“Hey Elon Musk, is this yours?” joked Karol Wójcicki, one of Poland’s most well-known astronomy communicators, as he shared an image of the unusual find on social media.

The object, resembling a fuel tank, was discovered early Wednesday morning at a company site in Komorniki, western Poland.

A bright, luminous fireball - later identified as Falcon 9 debris - was visible to the naked eye in some regions, with videos and photos quickly gaining traction online.

What is Falcon 9?

Falcon 9 is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk. It is used for both crewed and uncrewed missions, including cargo deliveries to the International Space Station.

The debris fell over Poland at the following coordinates:

Source: IAR/PAP/POLSA/X/@POLSA_GOV_PL/@KarolWojcicki/@UAM_Poznan

(m p)

Read more about this subject: