India’s space chief says that the giant metal dome found on an Australian beach is indeed part of a rocket, but he cannot confirm if it belongs to India until a proper analysis is conducted.
The object was discovered on Green Head beach, north of Perth, and its origin has sparked wild speculation.
Initially, some speculated it could be debris from the missing MH370 plane, but aviation experts ruled out that possibility, suggesting it could be a rocket fuel tank that fell into the Indian Ocean at some point. The Australian Space Agency also suggested the object might be from a “foreign space launch vehicle,” leading to speculation that it could be a fuel tank from India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) used to launch satellites.
Although India recently launched the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft to the Moon, experts believe the debris has been in the water for several months, contradicting the connection to the recent mission. Photos of the object covered in barnacles also support this view.
Mr. Somanath clarified that the object is part of some rocket, but without direct examination, its origin cannot be confirmed. He acknowledged that parts of the PSLV have fallen into the sea beyond Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the past, suggesting the object may have been floating for a long time before reaching the shore. He reassured that the debris poses no danger.
However, Australian authorities treat the item as hazardous and have asked people to keep a safe distance due to concerns that it could contain toxic materials. Further details about the object’s origin and composition are yet to be released by the Australian authorities.
