Objects on North Queensland Beach Identified as Space Junk

In short:

Australia's Space Agency says objects found on a north Queensland beach are likely pressure vessels from a space launch vehicle.

Six pieces of space junk have been discovered in the small seaside community of Forrest Beach, near Ingham, since Friday.

What's next?

Authorities are warning the regional community to be on alert as more potentially hazardous debris may be found.

The Australian Space Agency has confirmed mysterious objects found on a north Queensland beach are likely from a space launch vessel.

The seaside community of Forrest Beach, near Ingham, north of Townsville, became the centre of a multi-agency investigation at the weekend.

The initial discovery of the objects prompted attendance from firefighters clad in hazmat suits as well as an exclusion zone.

Likely source found

On Monday a spokesperson for the Australian Space Agency said the objects had been recovered and were considered to be safe.

"The recovered objects appear to be pressure vessels from a space launch vehicle," the spokesperson said.

"The Agency has identified the likely source — objects' location and characteristics are consistent with debris from a foreign rocket body that recently re-entered the atmosphere from orbit.

"The Agency is continuing to engage with international authorities to formally confirm the launch vehicle and launching state."

The Space Agency said it was advising Queensland authorities as well as the National Emergency Management Agency on the incident.

It warned further potentially hazardous debris may be found.

"Never touch, move, or recover suspected space debris and assume it to be hazardous — move away and contact emergency services."

'Space balls'

Flinders University Associate Professor Alice Gorman is a space archaeologist who researches space junk and orbital debris.

She said the spherical pressure vessels were one of the most commonly discovered pieces of space junk and said they are nicknamed 'space balls'.

"This is a classic example of what is known as 'space balls'," she said.

"Many rockets and spacecraft have liquid fuel systems that involve fuels under high pressure that are in these pressure vessels made over robust material.

" These parts of the fuel system often survive because their melting points are higher than the temperature coming back through the atmosphere. "

She explained that Australia's land mass made it more likely that space junk would wash ashore on the continent but said it often didn't land in populated areas.

"Things like these pressure vessels can be buoyant if there is no fuel in them so they are likely to wash ashore,"

"We are going to see more of this — more rockets means more space junk."