Space junk crashes near Newman mine: Australian Space Agency investigates origin of burning rocket parts WA Pilbara
A burning object discovered by mine workers in remote Australia has sparked a multi-agency probe, with cops suspecting it could be debris from space.
The Australian Space Agency has confirmed a burning object found in remote WA is most likely parts from a space launch vehicle.
Mine workers discovered the space junk near Newman in Western Australia’s remote Pilbara region, with the flaming crash sparking a major investigation.
The object was found about 30 kilometres east of Newman, a mining town located approximately 1,186 kilometres north of Perth that services one of the world’s largest open-cut iron ore mines.
The isolated region is mostly covered by vast red desert, with Newman serving as a hub for mining giant BHP’s massive iron ore operations.
Mine workers alerted emergency services about 2:00pm (WA time) on Saturday after finding the burning object near a remote access road. Confusion loomed after initial assessments suggested the item was made of carbon fibre, with police stating it may be “a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel or rocket tank”, consistent with “aerospace components”.
WA Police are coordinating a “multi-agency response” involving the Australian Space Agency and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
“In consultation with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the object has been ruled out as originating from a commercial aircraft,” police said in a statement.
Police said the item had characteristics of space re-entry debris, otherwise known as space junk.
“Further technical assessment will be undertaken by engineers from the Australian Space Agency to assist in identifying its nature and source,” the statement said.
“The object has been secured, and there is no current threat to public safety,” police said.
But on Monday afternoon, the Australian Space Agency told news.com.au, “the debris is likely a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a space launch vehicle.”
“The Agency is continuing the process of determining the exact nature of the debris and its origin through engagement with global counterparts,” a spokesperson said.
“The Agency is committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation and continues to highlight this on the international stage.”
As investigations continue into the origin of the space junk, another academic in the space has linked it to a Chinese rocket launch.
Flinders University space archaeologist Alice Gorman believes it came from a Chinese rocket called Jielong.
“The last launch was late September, so this has been barrelling around the earth and quite suddenly has got pulled back to the atmosphere,” She told ABC Radio Perth.
She said it is among several rocket tanks discarded from the spacecraft during its orbit in order to jettison weight during its flight.
Dr Gorman added the find is not an uncommon one, although it often takes a lot longer.
“They’re so common they’re called space balls,” she said.
“People often find them years later. So this one’s a bit unusual because it was found pretty quickly.”
Ms Gorman said the item was likely the result of an ”uncontrolled re-entry,” meaning it returned to Earth randomly and unguided.
The academic also said space debris is causing increasing problems.
“Qantas has had some concerns that it hasn’t been getting sufficient notice of rocket launches and re-entries,” she said.
“This is the world we’re starting to live in, where we’re having to look to the skies and be conscious of what’s above us.”
The Australian Space Agency’s website states that while most returning space objects either arrive back in a controlled manner or burn up completely in Earth’s atmosphere, some debris can survive uncontrolled re-entry. It can be tough to predict where fragments may fall.
Most likely, it’s the public who first discovers any space debris that lands on Australian territory, though such material typically falls into the ocean or remote locations.
Space debris is typically generated from re-entering objects such as satellites or launch vehicles that do not completely disintegrate as they pass through the atmosphere.
Australia has experienced several notable incidents, including debris from the Skylab space station that landed in Western Australia in 1979, a SpaceX Dragon trunk found in New South Wales in 2022, and a pressure vessel from a launch vehicle that washed up in Western Australia in 2023.
The Australian Government has established comprehensive plans to manage space debris impacts through the Australian Government Space Re-entry Debris Plan (AUSSPREDPLAN), detailing how federal authorities will assist state and territory governments during debris events.
On the off chance you are the first to find space debris, the Australian Space Agency says do not handle it and contact authorities.
Originally published as Space junk crashes near Newman mine: Australian Space Agency investigates origin of burning rocket parts WA Pilbara
