Metal mystery: 8‑foot ring crashes into Kenyan village
A metal ring with a diameter of 8 feet and weighing over half a ton fell on the village of Mukuku in Makueni County, Kenya. This incident was accompanied by a loud bang, causing confusion among the residents.
Photos of the bent and scorched piece of metal quickly spread on social media. The bang was audible even from 31 miles away. Kenyan police assured residents that no one was injured and that the object does not pose a threat to their safety.
The Kenyan Space Agency (KSA) explained on Wednesday that the object is likely a rocket launch vehicle separation ring. Typically, such elements burn up in the atmosphere or fall into uninhabited areas like oceans.
However, space debris does not always land in remote places. In 2022, remnants of a SpaceX Dragon capsule fell on an Australian sheep farm. In January 2024, a piece of metal damaged a house in Florida, and in March, another object destroyed a house in Naples, Italy.
The Kenyan Space Agency emphasizes that this is an isolated incident and does not pose a threat to public safety. The object did not cause any damage, and its origin is currently being investigated by experts.
