A shocking new theory emerges about the mysterious metal object that washed up on an Aussie beach, prompting the military to investigate
- Washed-up cylinder is examined
- The astrophysicist thinks it could be space junk
- Authorities have cordoned off the area
A mysterious metal object washed up on a remote Australian beach could be space debris from an Indian rocket.
Members of the armed forces and other state and federal agencies have been called in to help identify the heavily pierced cylinder, which has been cordoned off and placed under police guard.
Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker warned it could be a jettisoned rocket fuel tank – which could be dangerous.
Western Australia Police were alerted to the two-metre-tall capped greenish cylinder on a beach at Green Head, 250km north of Perth, on Sunday afternoon after it was spotted by a community member.
A mysterious metal object (pictured) has washed up on an Australian beach, sparking an investigation involving police and maritime partners
The mysterious object washed up on the beach about 250 km north of Perth on Sunday afternoon
My rule with space junk, it’s like Australian animals, don’t touch it unless you know what you’re doing. The fuel is usually carcinogenic, so caution is important,” Dr Tucker said The age.
Reddit users have speculated it could be part of an Indian LVM3-M4 missile.
The object appears to have cables or wires hanging from the top.
The Australian Space Agency said it is contacting other international agencies to identify the device.
“The object could have come from a launch vehicle from abroad and we are in contact with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information,” the agency said in a tweet.
After the object was spotted, it quickly drew a crowd of interested locals, some of whom posed for photos while holding beer with the device before authorities arrived.
A WA police spokeswoman said the object was being treated as dangerous until determined otherwise.
The strange metal cylinder was discovered on a beach near Green Head, on Western Australia’s west coast, by a member of the local community
“The investigation is ongoing and until more information becomes available, we urge everyone not to jump to conclusions,” she said.
“At this early stage, it appears that the object is not from a commercial aircraft.”
The discovery comes three weeks after another mysterious device was found off the coast of Perth’s North Beach.
According to The Western AustralianAustralian Defense Force personnel detonated the device, which was later determined to be a marker naval flare.
Every week, about five to ten rockets are launched around the world to put satellites into orbit.
Chinese rocket boosters have been dropped in the Philippines and between Australia and New Zealand.
Parts of one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets have been found in Washington state.
Western Australia was the landing site for perhaps the most famous space debris in history.
Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker (pictured) speculated the object could be space junk
When the US Skylab space station fell out of orbit in 1979, it became a media sensation with much speculation about where pieces might land amid concerns that it could hit people and property.
In July of that year, Skylab debris landed about 300 miles east of Perth and was found between Esperance and Rawlnna.
Local residents and an airline pilot saw dozens of colorful flares as large chunks of Skylab fell apart in the atmosphere.
Esperance Shire jokingly fined NASA A$400 for litter, and the amount was even paid on behalf of the space agency by a California-based morning radio host who collected the money from listeners in 2009.