Current:Home > StocksMystery object that washed up on Australia beach believed to be part of a rocket -TrueNorth Capital Hub
Mystery object that washed up on Australia beach believed to be part of a rocket
View
Date:2025-04-16 23:35:38
Canberra, Australia — Authorities are investigating whether a cylindrical object about the size of a small car that washed up on a remote Australian beach is space junk from a foreign rocket. Police cordoned off the barnacle-encrusted object after it was discovered on a beach in Green Head, about 155 miles north of the city of Perth, late Sunday.
The Australian Space Agency said it was liaising with other space agencies to identify the object, which appears to be partly made of a woven material.
"The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information," the agency tweeted.
European Space Agency engineer Andrea Boyd said her colleagues believed the item that washed up from the Indian Ocean fell from an Indian rocket while launching a satellite.
"We're pretty sure, based on the shape and the size, it is an upper-stage engine from an Indian rocket that's used for a lot of different missions," she told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Whoever launched the object into space would be responsible for its disposal.
"There is a United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and they have an Outer Space Treaty that everyone has signed saying that whoever launches something into space is responsible for it right until the very end," Boyd said.
The Indian Space Research Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
- India launches unmanned mission in 2nd attempt to land on the moon
Western Australia Police said in a statement on Monday that a government chemical analysis had determined the object was safe and "there is no current risk to the community."
Authorities had earlier treated the device as hazardous and urged the public to stay away.
Police said the device would be removed following formal identification of its origin.
"Police will maintain security of the object until it is removed and members of the public are requested to stay away from the location," the statement said.
Some early media reports suggested the find might be part of MH370, the Malaysian Airlines flight that disappeared in the Indian Ocean in 2014 with the loss of 239 lives. But that theory was quickly discounted.
"It appears to be a possible fuel tank from a rocket that has been launched in the last 12 months that's dropped into the Indian Ocean," aviation expert and editor-in-chief of the Airlineratings.com website, Geoffrey Thomas, told the Reuters news agency, adding that there was "no chance" the object was part of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777.
"It's not any part of a Boeing 777, and the fact is MH370 was lost nine and a half years ago, so it would show a great deal more wear and tear on the debris," Thomas told Reuters.
Curious locals had quickly gathered to pose for photos with the object on Sunday before police arrived.
Australian National University astrophysicist and cosmologist Brad Tucker said the object "definitely does look space chunky."
An upper-stage of a rocket could contain the carcinogenic fuel hydrazine, so bystanders should keep their distance, Tucker said.
- In:
- Rocket Fuel
- Australia
- Missile Launch
veryGood! (719)
Related
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Greg Sankey keeps door cracked to SEC expansion with future of ACC uncertain
- Aegon survived! 'House of the Dragon' star on Episode 5 dragon fallout
- Sarah Michelle Gellar Details Decades-Long Bond With Shannen Doherty After Her Death
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Can cats have watermelon? How to safely feed your feline the fruit.
- Rep. Jason Crow says unless there is a major change, there's a high risk that Democrats lose the election
- Trump's family reacts to assassination attempt: 'I love you Dad'
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford steps down due to health concerns
Ranking
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Rebecca Gayheart Shares Sweet Update on Her and Eric Dane’s Daughters
- How Fox News and CNN covered 'catastrophic' Trump rally shooting
- Ahead of RNC in Wisconsin, state officials decry horrific act after Trump assassination attempt
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Georgia county says slave descendants can’t use referendum to challenge rezoning of island community
- Aegon survived! 'House of the Dragon' star on Episode 5 dragon fallout
- As fall tuition bills drop, Gen Z's not ready to pay for college this year, survey says
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
When does a presumptive nominee become a nominee? Here’s how Donald Trump will make it official
Boston lawyer once named ‘most eligible bachelor’ is sentenced to 5-10 years for raping 21-year-old
Your guide to the iconic Paris landmarks serving as Olympics venues
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
When does EA Sports College Football 25 come out? Some will get to play on Monday.
Trump documents case dismissed by federal judge
Pennsylvania State Police identify 3 victims shot at Trump rally