Space junk crashes in ball of flames near remote West Australian mine site

Suspected space junk has crashed in a ball of flames near a remote mine site in Western Australia, prompting a multi-agency response from authorities to discover its origins.

The burning debris was discovered by a miner near a remote access road 30km east of Newman, in the Pilbara region, about 2pm on Saturday.

The miner alerted authorities to the discovery and initial assessments of the item indicated it was made of carbon fibre consistent with aerospace components and may be a composite overwrapped pressure vessel or rocket tank.

WA Police, the designated hazard management agency for space debris re-entry in Western Australia, is working closely with the mine operator, the Australian Space Agency, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and other stakeholders.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has ruled out the object originating from a commercial aircraft.

A police spokesman said the object remained under investigation, though its characteristics were consistent with known space re-entry debris.

“Further technical assessment will be undertaken by engineers from the Australian Space Agency to assist in identifying its nature and source,” a spokesman said.

“The object has been secured, and there is no current threat to public safety.”