A large chunk of suspected space debris has been found in a remote part of the Australian desert, the country\u2019s space agency confirmed Monday.<\/p>\n
The charred and smoldering object was found in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, according to the Australian Space Agency. It\u2019s not yet clear what the object is or where it came from, but officials said it\u2019s probably a spent rocket part.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe debris is likely a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a space launch vehicle,\u201d the Australian Space Agency wrote in a post on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n The agency did not provide details about the object\u2019s size or weight, but wrote that it is working with local authorities and other space agencies to investigate and determine \u201cthe exact nature of the debris and its origin.\u201d<\/p>\n The agency did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for further information.<\/p>\n The object was discovered Saturday on a remote access road by workers from a nearby mine, according to a report from Sky News<\/a>, which said that local authorities did not think the debris posed any threat to public safety. NBC News has not independently confirmed these details. (Sky News is a division of Comcast, the parent company of NBC News.)<\/p>\n Government space agencies and private space companies often let depleted or defunct rocket parts and satellites burn up in the atmosphere as a way to destroy them. Sometimes, however, pieces can survive the fiery process of atmospheric re-entry. Still, it\u2019s relatively rare for space debris to fall over land, given that the planet is mostly covered by oceans \u2014 and even more rare for pieces to fall over densely populated areas.<\/p>\n In recent years, though, experts have raised concerns about the growing problem of space debris, particularly as launches into orbit have become more frequent.<\/p>\n Last summer, a 90-pound slab of space debris was discovered on a mountain trail in North Carolina<\/a>. It was later identified as part of the service module from a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that had carried four astronauts back to Earth from the International Space Station earlier that year.<\/p>\n