On Sunday afternoon, a mysterious object appeared on a beach in Western Australia. Rumours had it that the object could be from the missing flight MH370, which disappeared back in March 2014.
Local resident Natasha Thompson described the object as a unique discovery.
She said, “It looked beautiful out in the water when it was floating on Saturday night.”
What Is the Reality of this Mysteriously Appearing Object?
An unidentified cylindrical object washed up on a remote western Australian beach, and authorities initially declared it hazardous. “As the origin of the object is unknown, the community should avoid handling or attempting to move the object.”
Later, it was confirmed by government chemical analysis that the device poses no harm and is risk-free.
This unusal object was 2m-tall metal cylinder with wires or cables hanging from the top. It was discovered at Green Head Beach, located in a coastal town 155 miles away from Perth.
Theories connected the object to the commercial aircraft MH370, which went missing more than nine years ago. However, authorities made it certain that it was not from the vanished flight MH370.
Police said, “There’s no chance it’s part of MH370.”
“It’s not any part of flight MH370, lost 9.5 years ago. If it had been, there would have been greater wear and tear.
“By the size of it, the shape of it, and the fact that the part that’s out of the water is almost brand new,”
Dr. Alice Gorman from the University of Flinders, who has expertise in the field of space archaeology, believes the object is a fuel cylinder. According to her, it belongs to India’s polar satellite launch vehicle rocket.
She explained, “When rockets are launched, the fuel tanks drop off, the fuel is expended, and they generally fall over the ocean, as this one did.”
The Australian Space Agency Has Launched An Investigation on this Unusual Object to Determine Whether is is Traced Back to Space Junk From a Foreign Rocket
The Australian Space Agency is working with other space agencies to identify the mysterious object.
According to space engineer Andrea Boyd and her colleagues, it belongs to an Indian Rocket that fell over the Indian Ocean. “We’re pretty sure, based on the shape and the size, it is an upper-stage engine from an Indian rocket that’s used for a lot of different missions,”
Yet, no acknowledgment is made by the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Following the Outer Space Treaty by the United Nations, whoever launches any object into space holds its responsibility until the very end. So whoever launched the object into space would be responsible for its disposal.
This afternoon, the mystic object was removed and taken to a safe location. The investigation is still ongoing. Western Australian Police held the item and helped to escort it. Once the samples were collected from the crater hole, the security of the beach was ensured for the public.
Until discovered otherwise, the mystery item will be managed as space debris. Even if confirmed as one, the vessel from which it came would still be unclear.