A fragment of metal from a space object has been confirmed to have fallen on Kenyan territory by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA).
Approximately 500 kg in weight and 2.5 meters in diameter, this copper ring landed at an unoccupied location in Mukuku Village, Makueni County. It was first sighted at approximately 1500 hours on Monday, December 30, 2024.
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In a public notice released on Wednesday, January 1st, 2025, the agency states that upon hearing of the landed object on Tuesday, December 31st, 2024, it quickly rushed to the incident location to safeguard the place and retrieved the object for further investigation, in conjunction with other security agencies and local authorities.
KSA confirmed the reports stating, “Officials rushed to the scene and, working alongside a multi-agency team and local authorities, secured the area and retrieved the debris, which is now under the Agency’s custody for further investigation”.
Fallen object is a separation ring from a rocket
KSA further stated, “Preliminary assessments indicate that the fallen object is a separation ring from a launch vehicle (rocket).”
The agency quickly clarified that it is still looking into the situation and that this is not a frequent occurrence.
Locals stated that police and local authorities had to safeguard the area because some “entrepreneurial” Kenyans had rushed to the site hoping to make money at a scrap yard.
Crucially, people are informed that there isn’t an immediate risk to their safety. The space agency has not yet determined which space object the ring originated from.
Approximately 29,000 pieces of space debris greater than 10 cm, 670,000 pieces larger than 1 cm, and more than 170 million fragments larger than 1 mm are now in Earth’s orbit, according to KSA.