A metal ring with a diameter of 2.5 meters and weighing more than half a tonne fell on the village of Mukuku in Makueni County, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) announced on Wednesday.
The loud boom that accompanied the object's descent caused confusion among Mukuku residents on Monday, who gathered around the large ring, speculating about its origins and possible threats. Photos bent and burnt piece of metal quickly appeared on social media with notes that the bang was even audible from a distance of 50 kilometers.
Kenyan police said on Wednesday that no one was injured.
Kenya. Space debris fell on the village. Experts on the cause
The agency reassured residents that the facility did not pose a threat to their safety and explained that “initial assessments indicate that it is a separation ring launch vehicle“, which should burn up after entering the Earth's atmosphere or fall on uninhabited areasfor example oceans. “This is an isolated incident that the agency will investigate and resolve,” reports the agency quoted by CBS News.
KSA said it secured the area and recovered the remains, which remain at its disposal for further examination.
However, such space waste does not always land in desolate places. In 2022, the remains of the SpaceX Dragon capsule fell on Australian sheep farm. In January 2024, a falling piece of metal destroyed the house in Florida in the US, and in March another cylindrical object destroyed a house in Naples we Italy.
Stay up to date and become one of over 200,000 followers of our fanpage – like Interia Events on Facebook and comment on our articles there!