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Suspected ‘space debris’ found after fiery landing near outback WA mine site
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Emergency services have been called in after a piece of suspected space debris was found burning near an outback Western Australia mine site at the weekend.
Space debris found near the mine site.Credit: WA police
Workers at the site, which is about 30 kilometres east of Newman, found the burning object about 2pm on Saturday and phoned the authorities.
“Initial assessments indicate the item was made of carbon fibre and may be a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel or rocket tank, consistent with aerospace components,” a WA police spokesperson said.
WA Police said while they haven’t determined where exactly the debris came from, Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau said it did not appear to come from a commercial aircraft.
WA Police said while they haven’t determined where exactly the debris came from, Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau said it did not appear to come from a commercial aircraft.
“The object remains under investigation, though its characteristics are consistent with known space re-entry debris,” the spokesperson said.
According to the Australian Space Agency, space debris can happen because of a “variety of re-entering space objects”, including things like satellites or launch vehicles that fail to completely burn up as they pass through earth’s atmosphere.
“Further technical assessment will be undertaken by engineers from the Australian Space Agency to assist in identifying its nature and source,” the spokesperson said.
WA Police said it was conducting the inter-agency response following the debris’ discovery, and was working with the mine operator, the Australian Space Agency and emergency services.
“The object has been secured, and there is no current threat to public safety. Investigations are ongoing,” the spokesperson said.
A photograph taken at the scene.Credit: WA police
It’s the second time space debris has notably fallen in Western Australia, with pieces of Skylab falling on Western Australia in 1979.
According to NASA, the debris created sonic booms and the documented debris footprint stretched nearly 4000 kilometres.
Some parts of the Skylab still sit in the Esperance Museum.
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