Australia probes mystery space balls that washed up on a Queensland beach
Six large metal spheres, suspected to be space debris, have washed up on Forrest Beach in north Queensland, prompting an investigation by the Australian Space Agency and warnings about potential toxic chemicals.
Discovery and response
Six solid metal spheres, each around half a metre in diameter, were found on Forrest Beach near Townsville this weekend. The Australian Space Agency (ASA) confirmed on Sunday it is working with police and the National Emergency Management Agency to determine the objects' nature and origin. Crews in protective suits placed five of the spheres into hazmat barrels under police guard, while a sixth was being rendered safe. A 50-metre exclusion zone remains in place, and the Queensland Fire Department warned the public not to touch any suspicious objects, saying more debris could appear in the coming days.
- Six metal spheres wash up on Forrest Beach, north of Townsville.
- Australian Space Agency confirms investigation; fire department secures five objects in hazmat barrels, renders sixth safe.
- Space archaeologist Alice Gorman says objects are likely 'space balls' from a rocket stage, possibly containing toxic hydrazine.
Expert analysis
Space archaeologist and Flinders University associate professor Alice Gorman reviewed footage of the objects and noted they showed no signs of burning or scorching. "This suggests they might from a rocket stage - perhaps a first or second stage - that has fallen back to Earth while the rest of the stage goes on to deliver a payload into space," she said. Gorman identified them as pressurised fuel vessels made of titanium alloys, commonly called "space balls," which can be found years after a launch. She speculated they could be from a Russian Fregat rocket, which uses similar pressure tanks, and might contain residual hydrazine, a highly toxic rocket propellant.
They are pressurised fuel vessels made of titanium alloys with a very high melting point. They're actually known as space balls and can be found years after the launch.
Past incidents
Similar objects have appeared on Australia's coastline before. In 2023, a giant metal dome that washed up on a Western Australian beach was confirmed by India's space agency to be part of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. A spherical object found in remote grassland in Namibia in 2011 was believed to be a fuel tank containing hydrazine from an unmanned rocket. Globally, an estimated 30,000 pieces of debris orbit Earth, ranging from defunct satellites to discarded rocket parts.
Local reaction
The quiet coastal community has been drawn into the mystery. Forrest Beach Takeaway owner Lisa Scobie told the ABC the extra activity had "created a little bit of excitement." The chip shop began selling a "space junk snack box," with a chalkboard joking that unlike the objects on the beach, customers would be able to identify its contents.
It's very quiet, not a lot happens here. So having a lot of extra activity... that definitely created a little bit of excitement.
