By 
October 20th, 2025
Images taken of purported space debris in Australia.
Image credit: Western Australia Police Force
Australian police force officers are dealing with what appears to be space debris.
Over the weekend, a hunk of smoking junk was found by mine workers nearly 19 miles east of Newman, Western Australia.
The Australian Space Agency is also carrying out “further technical analysis to identify its origin.”
The mine workers reported the object near a remote access road
A preliminary look at the wreckage suggests it is made of carbon fiber, perhaps a composite-overwrapped pressure vessels typically used in rocket tanks.
Chinese leftovers?
Satellite watcher, Marco Langbroek of the Netherlands, reports that China’s Jielong 3 upper stage 2024-173L “is a good candidate for the origin of the possible space debris object found near Newman on October 18.”
“It could actually be (a significant part of) the upper stage itself, given the large size that the photo’s suggest (and also given that the Jielong 3 upper stage is reportedly a solid fuel stage),” Langbroek reports.
The object resembles a COPV (Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel), a type of space debris that often survives reentry, adds Langbroek.
Image credit: Marco Langbroek
Posted in Space News
