Over 1,000-pound Space debris crashes into Kenyan village
Kenyan officials have launched investigations after a large piece of space debris crashed into a village in Makueni County on December 30.
According to the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) the object was a metallic ring, about 8 feet wide and weighing over 1,000 pounds.
The object fell in Mukuku village at around 3:00 pm local time on December 30, 2024. Villagers quickly alerted authorities, and the area was secured.
KSA said such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or fall over unoccupied areas such as oceans.
"Preliminary assessments indicate that the fallen object is a separation ring from a launch vehicle," a statement on X said.
Officials confirmed the debris was not a public safety threat, indicating that the agency is working to identify its origin.
"This is an isolated case, which the agency will investigate and address," the statement further said.
This incident adds to the number of space debris crashes that have happened in recent times.
In 2022, a SpaceX Dragon capsule fragment landed on an Australian farm. In 2024, a piece of metal tore through a home in Florida, USA, causing damage but no injuries.
Meanwhile, NASA and other agencies have also criticised China for allowing large rockets to fall back to Earth uncontrolled.
