24/7 Space News
TECH SPACE
Kenya investigating fallen space debris
Kenya investigating fallen space debris
by AFP Staff Writers
Nairobi (AFP) Jan 1, 2025

Kenyan officials said Wednesday they were investigating fragments of metal, believed to be from a rocket, that crashed into a village in the country's south.

The issue of space trash has risen in tandem with increased spatial traffic.

Kenya Space Agency (KSA) said the object, a metallic ring roughly 2.5 metres (8 feet) in diametre and weighing some 500 kilogrammes (1,100 pounds), crashed into Mukuku village, in Makueni county, on December 30 at around 3:00 pm local time (1200 GMT).

The KSA, working alongside other agencies and local authorities, "secured the area and retrieved the debris, which is now under the Agency's custody for further investigation."

It said "preliminary assessments indicate that the fallen object is a separation ring from a launch vehicle", which are designed to either burn up upon re-entry to Earth's atmosphere or fall over uninhabited areas.

"This is an isolated case, which the agency will investigate and address," the KSA said in a statement.

It said the object was not a threat to public safety, and praised the villagers nearby who had swiftly alerted authorities.

The KSA said they were working to identify the piece's origin.

Past examples of manmade human space debris hitting Earth include part of a SpaceX Dragon capsule landing on an Australian sheep farm in 2022.

And earlier this year, NASA faced a lawsuit from an American family whose Florida home was hit by a piece of falling metal.

China has also been criticized by NASA for allowing its giant Long March rockets to fall back to Earth after orbit.

Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TECH SPACE
Astroscale's ADRAS-J demonstrates key 15-meter proximity to space debris
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Astroscale Japan Inc. (Astroscale Japan), a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., has announced a major achievement as its debris inspection demonstration satellite, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J), successfully approached a piece of space debris to within approximately 15 meters. This marks the closest commercial approach to space debris using Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO). Selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for Phase I of its Commercial Re ... read more

TECH SPACE
More NASA science and technology set for Lunar delivery with Firefly Aerospace

Plextek's cutting-edge mmWave technology for space operations and sensing

From commercial Moon landers to asteroid investigations, the year ahead

Five Ways to Explore NASA's Portfolio of Technologies with TechPort 4.0

TECH SPACE
SpaceX launches final mission of 2024 with 21 Starlink satellites

XBow Systems expands defense contract for hypersonic solid rocket motors

Second Ariane 6 components assembled at Europe's Spaceport

SpaceX winds down 2024 with a pair of Falcon 9 launches

TECH SPACE
Evidence exists for hidden water reservoirs and rare magmas on ancient Mars

University of Houston scientists solving meteorological mysteries on Mars

Sols 4402-4415: Rover Decks and Sequence Calls for the Holidays

Frosty landscape captured at Mars' South Pole

TECH SPACE
China's human spaceflight program achieves key milestones in 2024

China's space journey continues apace

Shenzhou XIX crew completes successful spacewalk outside Tiangong station

China boosts Lunar and Mars mission capabilities with advanced Long March rockets

TECH SPACE
NOIRLab releases complete educational resource for constellations

World first 5G satellite connection sets new milestone for mobile communication

China launches four Earth-observation radar satellites into orbit

Space Flight Laboratory confirms launch and deployment of HawkEye 360 Cluster 11

TECH SPACE
Kenya investigating fallen space debris

NASA partners with four companies to expand Near Space Network capabilities

Satellite ground stations anchor reliable data transmission across China

Astroscale's ADRAS-J demonstrates key 15-meter proximity to space debris

TECH SPACE
Young planet's atmosphere challenges traditional formation models

New study uncovers variety in Arctic Ocean hydrothermal vent systems

Living in the deep, dark, slow lane: Insights from the first global appraisal of microbiomes in Earth's subsurface environments

The light of TRAPPIST-1 b analyzed at two wavelengths reveals key insights into its nature

TECH SPACE
Texas A and M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Jovian vortex hunter catalog reveals stunning insights into Jupiter's atmosphere

Juno identifies localized magma chambers driving Io's volcanic activity

NASA marks ten years of Hubble's Outer Planets Survey

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.