In a surprising twist of events, a strange object that washed up on an Australian beach has been revealed as debris from an Indian rocket, according to officials on Monday.
The peculiar barnacle-encrusted cylinder first came into the spotlight in mid-July near the remote Jurien Bay, a coastal region located two hours' drive north of Perth in Western Australia. Online sleuths, fueled by curiosity, began speculating about the object's origin, with theories ranging from a potential military connection to even being linked to the infamous disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370,according to media reports.
However, the Australian Space Agency has now put these speculations to rest. They confirmed that the object is "most likely" a remnant from the "expended third-stage of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle" operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation. This medium-lift launch vehicle is known for propelling satellites into orbit.
Described as standing around two meters (six feet) tall and adorned with dangling cables at the top, the peculiar discovery is being carefully kept in storage.
In an effort to ascertain the object's origin conclusively, officials from Australia and India are collaborating to "provide further confirmation to determine next steps, including considering obligations under the United Nations space treaties."
Interestingly, this is not the first time Australia has encountered space debris on its land. In a previous incident last August, a sheep farmer in New South Wales stumbled upon a charred chunk from one of Elon Musk's SpaceX missions protruding from his paddock, adding to the nation's collection of cosmic curiosities.
