![\"space-debris-in-orbit\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/space-debris-in-orbit.jpg\")
iStockphoto<\/p>\niStockphoto<\/p>\n
A mysterious metallic object discovered in a Minnesota cornfield is believed to be space debris, prompting a federal investigation into its origin.<\/p>\n
A local resident found a strange metal object with jagged edges and what appeared to be a burnt underbelly in Scott Township, Minnesota<\/a>, earlier this week. Around 3:30 p.m. on October 14, the Stevens County Sheriff\u2019s Office received a call about what it described as \u201cforeign debris.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUpon responding, deputies confirmed that a large, metallic object, approximately 11-feet in diameter, presumably a space<\/a> object, was present in the cornfield,\u201d the Sheriff\u2019s Office wrote on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe MN Duty Officer was notified of this and federal agencies responded. The Sheriff\u2019s Office is working closely with several state and federal agencies to identify and notify the owner of the debris and to plan for removal from the field.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sheriff\u2019s Office also stated that agency officials told them that the public was not in any danger from the mysterious object.<\/p>\n Online speculation led to several theories<\/p>\n Online speculation suggests that the debris may be related to a tornado that reportedly passed over Minnesota a few weeks ago. Its sharp edges have raised questions about whether the object was part of a larger object on the ground.<\/p>\n Someone joked on Facebook, \u201cSomeone had a little too much tannerite!\u201d<\/p>\n One theory is that the item might be part of a rocket or satellite. The object\u2019s discovery coincided with news of a SpaceX<\/a> rocket launch from Florida.<\/p>\n \u201cAll this junk from rocket launches has to land somewhere,\u201d another person commented.<\/p>\n Space debris is becoming a serious problem<\/p>\n That person isn\u2019t wrong. In October of last year, it was revealed that the thousands of satellites SpaceX and other companies were putting into orbit were creating a significant problem<\/a>.<\/p>\n The report said that one to two of SpaceX\u2019s 8,000 Starlink satellites fall back to Earth every day. That number could soon reach as many as five times per day when you add satellites launched by Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper and other companies.<\/p>\n In the near future, up to 50,000 satellites could orbit Earth, including those China has been launching. In 2020, SpaceX announced intentions to launch 42,000 satellites<\/a>. The European Space Agency projects that at least 100,000 low-orbit satellites will be circling the planet by 2030.<\/p>\n![\"minnesota-space-debris\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-space-debris.jpg\")
Stevens County Sheriff’s Office<\/p>\n