Six large mysterious balls found on a beach in Australia’s Queensland on Sunday were first believed to be potentially dangerous “space debris”. The Australian Space Agency (ASA) has now said it has identified the likely origin of the objects.
The spheres washed ashore at Forrest Beach near Townsville, as per reports. Following the discovery, authorities temporarily closed part of the beach and established a 50-metre exclusion zone as a precaution.
What are these ‘mysterious objects’?
The six solid spheres were initially suspected to be pieces of space debris. On Monday, the ASA said it had “identified the likely source” of the objects.
In a statement posted on X, the agency said they “appear to be pressure vessels from a space launch vehicle”.
It added that it is working with international authorities to formally confirm which launch vehicle they came from.
According to the agency’s latest statement, “the objects’ location and characteristics are consistent with debris from a foreign rocket body that recently re-entered the atmosphere from orbit”.
Associate Professor Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist and expert on space debris at Flinders University, reviewed footage of the objects and said they did not appear to show signs of burning or scorching.
“This suggests they might be from a rocket stage – perhaps a first or second stage – that has fallen back to Earth while the rest of the stage goes on to deliver a payload into space,” she told The Guardian.
She also told the publication that there was a possibility the objects were not linked to the space industry and could instead have come from the sea. However, she warned that if they were rocket components, they might still contain traces of hydrazine, a highly toxic rocket fuel.
Buzz over mysterious balls
The discovery sparked speculation that the spheres could be propellant tanks from a spacecraft, meaning they might still hold small amounts of a highly flammable or reactive substance, BBC reported.
Officials wearing protective suits were reportedly seen placing the spheres into hazardous material containers while police secured the area, amid concerns that the objects could contain dangerous substances.
Forrest Beach Takeaway owner Lisa Scobie said residents were eager to find out where the objects had come from.
“It’s very quiet, not a lot happens here. So having a lot of extra activity… that definitely created a little bit of excitement,” she told public broadcaster ABC.
Not the first time: Previous one belonged to Indian rocket
This is not the first time that an unusual object believed to be linked to space has washed up on Australia’s coastline.
In 2023, India reportedly confirmed that a large metal dome found on a beach near Perth in Western Australia belonged to one of its rockets.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told the BBC that the object was part of one of the organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV).
