Current:Home > ScamsMystery object that washed up on Australia beach believed to be part of a rocket -FinanceMind
Mystery object that washed up on Australia beach believed to be part of a rocket
View
Date:2025-04-18 17:51:06
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! (7115)
Related
- Sam Taylor
- Alabama election officials make voter registration inactive for thousands of potential noncitizens
- AP Week in Pictures: Global
- Jury begins deliberations in trial of white Florida woman in fatal shooting of Black neighbor
- Average rate on 30
- 10 service members injured, airlifted after naval training incident in Nevada: Reports
- Who Is Jana Duggar’s Husband Stephen Wissmann? Everything to Know About the Business Owner
- Matthew Perry Ketamine Case: Doctors Called Him “Moron” in Text Messages, Prosecutors Allege
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- A look at college presidents who have resigned under pressure over their handling of Gaza protests
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Looking to buy a home? You may now need to factor in the cost of your agent’s commission
- Shannen Doherty's Mom Rosa Speaks Out After Actress' Death
- Disney wrongful death lawsuit over allergy highlights danger of fine print
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Trader Joe's recalls over 650,000 scented candles due to fire hazard
- No Honda has ever done what the Prologue Electric SUV does so well
- JoJo Siwa Shares She's Dating New Girlfriend Dakayla Wilson
Recommendation
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Iowa proposes summer grocery boxes as alternative to direct cash payments for low-income families
Babe Ruth jersey could sell for record-breaking $30 million at auction
Horoscopes Today, August 16, 2024
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Love Island U.K. Tommy Fury Slams “False” Allegations He Cheated on Ex-Fiancée Molly-Mae Hague
Here's What Jennifer Lopez Is Up to on Ben Affleck's Birthday
Why Fans Think Taylor Swift Made Cheeky Nod to Travis Kelce Anniversary During Eras Tour With Ed Sheeran