A dome-shaped mysterious object that has washed up on a remote Australian beach is "most likely a solid rocket motor casing", the country's space agency said on Wednesday, as police in Western Australia removed the "space debris" to a secure location.
The canister was discovered near the beach in Green Head in Western Australia (WA) about 250 kilometres north of the city of Perth on Saturday last, leading to speculation that it could be from an Indian rocket that was used for launching a satellite.
When contacted by PTI on Tuesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources confirmed receipt of a formal communication from the Australian Space Agency (ASA).
Taking to Twitter, the Australian Space Agency (ASA) said, "We have determined the object is most likely a solid rocket motor casing. We're continuing the process of identifying the type of rocket & its origin through ongoing engagement with our global counterparts." The space agency said it has coordinated with Western Australia Police Force for the object's removal and storage.
The bizarre-looking object has been declared a piece of space junk, while national agencies, including the ASA, continue working to identify its origin.
"At this time, it is believed the item is space debris and will be managed as such until it can be determined otherwise," WA Police said in a statement.
A police escort took the mystery object away to a secure location this afternoon after environment officers in protective gear finished taking samples of the crater hole to ensure the beach is safe for the public, 9news.com.au reported.
The copper-coloured bulky cylinder, which stands taller than a human, appears to be damaged at one end and is covered with barnacles, indicating that it has spent a significant amount of time at sea before washing up.
"We are currently making enquiries related to this object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia. The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information," the ASA said in a series of tweets on Monday.
As the origin of the object is unknown, the community should avoid handling or attempting to move the object, it said, adding that if the community spots any further suspected debris they should report it to local authorities and notify the agency.
"We are committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation, and continue to highlight this on the international stage," the agency said.
Within an hour of the first media report on the unusual find, many social media users already came up with a theory the object was a piece of space junk from an Indian rocket, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported.
Space experts agreed, with Australian National University astrophysicist Dr Doris Grosse and Flinders University space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman believing it was likely a fuel cylinder from the third stage of a launch by India’s space agency, it said.
Some even theorised the debris could have come from a specific mission - PSLV-CA C46 - which launched in May 2019 and dropped some debris in the ocean to Australia’s north-west and south-east, the report added.
Police earlier labelled the object as "hazardous" as they worked to identify if there was a risk to the community.
After analysis of the object, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Chemistry Centre of WA found it posed no risk to the community.
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook said the object could end up at the WA Museum.
"I did make the observation this morning that perhaps this will be an addition to the Sky Lab pieces that we have in the museum and might add to our growing collection of space debris that seems to be collecting in WA," he said.
Space debris - both man-made and natural - has a habit of coming down in WA’s vast outback, although it is rare for it to be found washed up on the state’s 12,895 kilometres of coastline.
Most famously, the Skylab space station came hurtling back to Earth in 1979, with pieces of the rogue station found in the most remote of outback locations in Balladonia, north-east of Esperance in WA’s south.
The local council hit NASA with a USD 400 littering fine, which reportedly remains unpaid.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.