Failed Florida rocket found washed up on British Isles

Now, a large piece of that unmanned spacecraft has been found all the way in Scilly, England.

The part, measuring around 32 feet by 13 feet, was found by two local fishermen who then towed it to a nearby beach.

"There were lots of gulls on the water, and I thought initially it was a dead whale and the birds were feeding off it," said Joseph Thomas, one of the fishermen.

"The markings show an American flag. It looks like it's an American rocket and seems most likely to be the unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 which blew up shortly after takeoff from Cape Canaveral in June,” British Coast Guard spokesman Martin Leslie said. "We're grateful for all those who helped in its recovery. It was a great example of the community working together."

The rocket had been carrying cargo bound for the International Space Station when it broke apart and landed in the ocean about 4,100 miles from the Isles of Scilly.

Pete Hicks, who towed the piece to shore, tweeted, "Towed in and beached a piece of flotsam earlier. Thoughts were could be aviation parts ..didnt imagine space race."