The Australian Space Agency (ASA) is investigating a mysterious object found on Jurien Bay in Western Australia.
In a post, ASA said: “We are working to confirm whether the object could be part of a foreign space launch vehicle that has washed up on shore, and liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide information about the object.”
Netizens are buzzing with speculation regarding the origin of the mysterious objects, with a number of theories suggesting it to be part of India’s recently launched Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Given the time spent by the debris in the ocean and the number of shellfish attached to it, experts believe this could be a piece from India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission.
Dr Ajeet Kumar, who was an RA on Chandrayaan-2 Project at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), says the debris look “very similar to the “Third and fourth stages of the PSLV-C11 launcher” used during the Chandrayaan-1.”
The above photo shows the hoisting of the third and fourth stages of the Chandrayaan-1 launcher, PSLV-C11 at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
As the origin of the mysterious object is unknown, ASA has requested the local community to “avoid handling or attempting to move the object.”
“We are committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation and continue to highlight this on the international stage.”
Further, if any member of the local community spots any further suspected debris they should immediately report it to local authorities (space.monitoring@space.gov.au).