A piece of suspected space debris was found on Saturday, burning near a mine site in the Pilbara district of Western Australia.
According to the Western Australia Police Force, some mine workers discovered the object burning near a remote access road on Saturday afternoon and reported it to 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,” the police force said in a Facebook post.
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A photo from Saturday, Oct. 18, shows the debris on fire.
(Pilbara District – WA Police Force / FOX Weather)
Photos from Saturday showed the object in the daylight, still on fire.
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Smoke cascaded from the debris.
(Pilbara District – WA Police Force / FOX Weather)
The agency said an investigation in conjunction with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau concluded the item wasn’t from a commercial aircraft.
Video showed police force workers in full hazmat gear approaching the hunk of debris in the middle of a dirt road.
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Western Australia Police Force approaches the debris in hazmat.
(Western Australia Police Force / FOX Weather)
Once close, details showed the carbon fibers broken apart from the debris.
A full 360 degree view of the debris revealed what looked like a gasket or bracket of some kind inside the object, as well as a few broken apart around the object.
A later clip showed one of the Western Australian Police Force workers reaching down to pick up and flip over the space junk.
“The object remains under investigation, though its characteristics are consistent with known space re-entry debris,” the police force said. “Further technical assessment will be undertaken by engineers from the Australian Space Agency to assist in identifying its nature and source.”
Western Australia Police Force said the object was secured and doesn’t pose a threat to the public.
