Medical and Hospital 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
Japan's Wajima craftmakers see hope in disaster-hit region

UN warns of shelter needs in Gaza after hypothermia deaths

Mayotte families left homeless by cyclone leave shelters

French premier promises concrete aid for cyclone-hit Mayotte

TECH SPACE
SpaceX launches Space Force Rapid Response Trailblazer

GPS alternative for drone navigation leverages celestial data

Deciphering city navigation AI advances GNSS error detection

China advances next-generation BeiDou satellite navigation system

TECH SPACE
Catholics hold muted Christmas mass in Indonesia's Sharia stronghold

Travelers consider weight-based airfares for sustainable flights

US passes defense bill banning gender care for minors; UK to compensate LGBTQ veterans sacked

Earliest ritual space in southwest asia discovered in Galilee cave

TECH SPACE
Bats use storm fronts for energy-efficient migration

Some bacteria evolve in seasonal cycles like clockwork

Breeding success: London zoo counts its animals one-by-one

Cameroon islands offer safe home for orphaned chimps

TECH SPACE
Five years on, WHO urges China to share Covid origins data

China says shared Covid information 'without holding anything back'

US lawmakers back Covid Chinese lab leak theory after two-year probe

US lawmakers back Covid Chinese lab leak theory after two-year probe

TECH SPACE
Driver in central China car ramming handed suspended death sentence

On China's doorstep, Macau weaves an identity as integration looms

Xi to arrive in Macau for 25th anniversary of Chinese rule

China executes former regional official for corruption

TECH SPACE
Charred bodies in Ecuador are missing adolescents, say officials

Blast kills two Mexican soldiers, five wounded

Four killed in Colombia airstrike against drug cartel

Somali pirates demand ransom for Chinese vessel

TECH SPACE
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.