A large, mystery piece of debris on a remote West Australian beach could find its way to a museum if it is proven to be debris from space, the WA premier says.

July 18, 2023

Authorities are trying to work out what to do with a large mystery object that washed up on a remote West Australian beach, as experts try to confirm if it is part of a space rocket.

The barnacle-encrusted and rusty cylinder was found on Sunday near Green Head, about 250km north of Perth, where it remains under police guard after being declared safe.

The Australian Space Agency says the device, which is about 2.5m high and partly made of a gold-coloured woven material, could be part of a space vehicle.

“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 agency said in a tweet.

It is working with experts from multiple national and international agencies to determine if that is the case and, if so, where it came from.

WA Police are managing the scene and talking to stakeholders about how to safely remove the device from the beach.

It said additional precautions would be taken because of its unknown origin.

Discussions are also under way with several state agencies and the Shire of Coorow about storing it.

“At this time, it is believed the item is space debris and will be managed as such until it can be determined otherwise,” a police spokesman said.

Premier Roger Cook said if the object was found to be from space it could find a home in a WA museum with the wreckage of Skylab that fell back to Earth in WA in 1979.

“It might add to our growing collection of space debris,” he said.

Locals gathered around the object after it washed up, with some posing for photos before authorities cordoned it off.

Some users of social media site Reddit speculate the device could be Indian space junk from an LVM3-M4 rocket, as news about it was shared across the world.

Authorities have ruled out an aviation link after suggestions it may have been part of an airliner.

Police late on Monday said expert analysis had determined the object was safe and “there is no current risk to the community”.

“This includes those who have come into contact with the object prior to it being reported to police,” a spokesman said.

Skylab was the US’s first space station. It was orbiting unmanned for just over five years before breaking up and scattering debris across the Esperance region.