Metal mystery: Massive space debris lands in Kenyan village
The Kenyan Space Agency has delivered startling news. A metal ring with a diameter of approximately 2.5 metres and weighing over 500 kilograms fell on the village of Mukuku in Makueni County.
On Wednesday, 1st January, the Kenyan Space Agency announced information that surprised everyone. Two days earlier, a gigantic metal ring had fallen on the village of Mukuku in Kenya's Makueni County, causing confusion among residents.
Space debris suddenly fell from the sky
Social media posts confirmed that a loud boom accompanying the object's fall could be heard even from 50 kilometres away. "This object fell from the sky and sounded like a thunderstorm with lightning," wrote user "McDMwesh" on platform X, who also shared photos of the space debris.
Residents of Mukuku gathered around the twisted and charred ring, speculating about its origin and potential threat. The Kenyan Space Agency reported that the object is likely a rocket booster separation ring.
Surprising situation in Kenya
The Kenyan police assured that no one was hurt in the incident. The Space Agency reassured residents that the object did not threaten their safety. A rocket booster separation ring should burn up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere or fall into uninhabited areas such as oceans. However, things turned out differently, so experts are investigating the matter.
Recall that a similar incident occurred in 2022 in Australia when remnants of a SpaceX Dragon capsule fell on a sheep farm there. In January 2023, a falling piece of metal destroyed a house in Florida in the USA, and in March a similar cylindrical object damaged a house in Naples, Italy.
Source: PAP/X
