Mine workers found a charred, smoking piece of space debris on a remote road in Western Australia’s Pilbara region Saturday. The Australian Space Agency confirmed Monday the mysterious object is likely a spent rocket component, possibly a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a launch vehicle. Authorities say the debris poses no public safety threat. Space analyst Marco Langbroek believes it may be a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) from a Chinese Jielong 3 rocket’s upper stage that returned to Earth Saturday. “It could actually be (a significant part of) the upper stage itself,” Langbroek wrote in a blog post. Investigators are working with local and international partners to identify the object’s origin. Such incidents remain uncommon as most space debris burns up during atmospheric reentry or lands in oceans, though orbital debris risks are increasing with more launches. (Story URL)
