The Australian Space Agency (ASA) on Monday said that a mysterious object found in Western Australia belongs to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
“We have concluded the object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia is most likely debris from an expended third-stage of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The PSLV is a medium-lift launch vehicle operated by ISRO”, the ASA said in a series of tweets.
“The debris remains in storage and the ASA is working with the ISRO, who will provide further confirmation to determine next steps, including considering obligations under the United Nations space treaties”, the space agency further informed, adding, “The ASA is committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation, and continues to highlight this on the international stage”.
The mysterious object was discovered two days after the Chandrayaan-3 launched.
On 16 July, the debris was found offshore, after which people have speculated multiple theories behind the debris' origin.
Some people even said that the object could be a piece from the disappeared Flight MH370, which mysteriously vanished during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014.
This is not the first time Australia has encountered space debris, as last year, in August, a sheep farmer found a charred chunk from a SpaceX mission in New South Wales.