Police Release Video Of Space Junk That Fell In Australia, Likely Part Of Chinese Rocket

A burning object, suspected to be space junk, crashed near an iron ore mine in Western Australia on Saturday. The object was secured, and officials said that there is no current threat to public safety. The object became a hot topic of debate on social media with speculations around its origin, but an expert believes it's likely part of a Chinese rocket launched in September.

On Tuesday, an eerie video was released by the Western Australia Police Force, which showed officials walking towards the object and inspecting it.

In the caption, they wrote, "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."

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An investigation was launched, and officials also consulted the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). They ruled out that the object originated from a commercial aircraft.

"The object remains under investigation, though its characteristics are consistent with known space re-entry debris," the WA Police Force said.

Engineers from the Australian Space Agency will confirm the nature of the object and its source after further technical assessment. "As the designated Hazard Management Agency for space debris re-entry in Western Australia, the WA Police Force is working closely with the mine operator, the Australian Space Agency, DFES, and other relevant stakeholders," the post added.

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Part of a Chinese rocket?

According to a leading space archaeologist, Alice Gorman, the debris is probably from a Chinese rocket, given the timing and location. "It seems to be the fourth stage of a Jielong rocket," Gorman, a Flinders University associate professor, said as quoted by The Guardian.

"There was one launched in late September. If it is the one from the 25th, that means it's been orbiting the Earth for a bit and then came out of the blue."

"There was no indication it was going to re-enter right now so people weren't expecting it - when I went to look for re-entry predictions I couldn't find anything, which is an indication of the suddenness of it."

The incident also highlights the growing issue of space debris, with the potential risk of objects like dead artificial satellites and bits of spacecraft falling on Earth in an uncontrolled manner.