--- title: "Australia Baffled as Mysterious Space Debris Washes Up on Beach" description: "A golden, cylindrical object was discovered by beachgoers in Australia on Sunday, with authorities still trying to determine its origin." date: "2023-07-17" modified: "2023-07-17" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/australia-mysterious-space-debris-beach" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "beaches" - "rockets" - "space debris" - "the digest" --- # Australia Baffled as Mysterious Space Debris Washes Up on Beach ![A golden-colored, cylindrical object was discovered by beachgoers in Australia on Sunday, as authorities still try to determine its origin.]() *\Image: Australian Space Agency\* ## Sup, Beaches? A large, barnacle-encrusted and golden cylindrical object washed up on a beach in Western Australia, puzzling authorities who are still trying to piece together what it is. Early signs, though, suggest that it's some kind of space debris. Whatever it may be, the cylinder, which is domed on one end and broken off on the other, was discovered on a beach at Green Head, located some 150 miles north of Perth, by local residents on Sunday afternoon. One resident who stumbled upon the scene described it as being roughly eight feet wide and ten feet tall, the *Australian Broadcasting Corporation* [reports]() — so a pretty sizable hunk of metallic junk. Until its exact origins can be determined, the Western Australia Police Force, who were guarding the site, has [warned]() beachgoers to keep away, saying the mystery debris was "being treated as hazardous," though further analysis determined that it didn't pose a risk to the community. https://twitter.com/AusSpaceAgency/status/1680832020937846785 ## Basking Rocket The Australian Space Agency is demurring on what the object might be, saying in a [tweet]() only that it "could be from a foreign space launch vehicle." It adds that it's "currently making enquiries" on the object. But internet sleuths may already have the authorities beat. If they're [to be believed](), it seems that this object may be the jettisoned third stage of one of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PLSV), a multistage rocket. Stephen Clark, a space reporter for *Ars Technica*, [explained]() that the "PLSV's third stage never reaches orbital velocity," and typically falls downrange of its launch site and into the Indian Ocean. If correctly identified, this means that the debris did not originate from India's [Chandryaan 3 lunar mission]() that [launched on Friday](), which uses a different rocket. Corroborating this theory, aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas [told the *BBC* ]()that the object could be a fuel tank from a rocket that fell into the ocean within the past year. Thomas also firmly dispelled speculation that the object could have belonged to the MH370 airliner — or any aircraft for that matter — which tragically went missing somewhere off the west coast of Australia in 2014. "No chance," he said. **More on space debris:** *[Scientists Experimenting With Actual Tractor Beam to Clean Up Space Junk]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()