Mystery Space Junk Found: Australians were perplexed when a 10-foot-wide copper-colored cylinder washed up on the western coast. Residents of Green Head, a charming coastal town 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Perth, have flocked to the beach to see the mysterious object.
The online community speculated about the cylinder’s origins after the unusual find.
The Western Australia Police Force stated that the item is “space debris,” which the country’s space agency supports. The police initially cordoned off the area and advised locals to avoid the unidentified object.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Service and the Chemistry Centre of Western Australia found the object safe in a recent update. The cylinder will be safely removed and stored during investigations.
Space junk is the likely cause. The Australian Space Agency tweeted that it might be from a foreign space launch vehicle, prompting global collaboration to learn more.
The cylinder’s barnacle-covered exterior suggests it spent a long time at sea before washing ashore. Due to its unknown origin, the space agency advises against handling or moving the object and reporting any other suspected debris sightings.
Adelaide’s Flinders University space archaeologist Alice Gorman offers a fascinating perspective on the cylinder’s identity. Gorman believes it is the third phase of an Indian polar satellite launch vehicle. Gorman compares the dimensions and materials to India’s 2010 launch vehicles.
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Space rockets have multiple stages with fuel compartments that are discarded as the propellant depletes, with most of the debris returning to Earth. Gorman says the cylinder’s mostly intact appearance suggests it may not have reached outer space before detachment, sparing it from intense burning during re-entry. Instead, a deep-sea storm may have brought it ashore after five to ten years in the ocean.
Gorman also suggests the cylinder uses solid fuel, which only releases toxic substances at high temperatures. She cautions locals to avoid touching space junk unless necessary.
The community is intrigued by this mysterious space debris. The enigmatic cylinder reminds us of the mysteries beyond Earth’s atmosphere as authorities investigate its origins.
Our Reader’s Queries
What mysterious object found on Australian beach could be space junk?
The Australian Space Agency believes that a sizable piece of space debris discovered on a secluded beach in Western Australia is probably a part of an Indian launch vehicle. The object, standing at approximately 2.5m tall and constructed with a gold-colored woven material, was unearthed in July near Green Head, around 250km north of Perth.
What mysterious object was found on the beach in Australia?
A massive container found on an Australian shore, about 150 miles from Perth, stirred up various speculations. Officials have determined the enigmatic large object to be remnants from an Indian rocket.
How much space junk is in space 2023?
Currently, there’s a concerning increase in space junk. In November 2023, the European Space Agency reported that global space surveillance networks were monitoring around 35,610 chunks of space debris exceeding 4 inches (10 centimeters) in size.
What is the object that fell from space?
Meteorites are chunks of asteroids, comets, moons, and planets that manage to make it through Earth’s fiery atmosphere and land on the ground. They can range in size from small pebbles to huge rocks bigger than a building.