A strange whizzing noise followed by a loud crash startled Kenyan villagers who were recently enjoying a relaxed afternoon with their families and friends.
I raised my head to scan the horizon for any sign of smoke or fire, but there was nothing to be seen.
I immediately rushed to the road to check if there had been a crash. Still, nothing was visible. That’s when I was told that an object had dropped from the sky.
Actually, a very large round metallic object fell from the sky and landed on a field near an empty riverbed – and it was extremely hot.
We encountered a large piece of metal with a distinctive red color,” said Ann Kanuna, who explained that she is the landowner where the object landed, “so we had to wait for it to reach a cooler temperature before anyone could safely get near it.
The massive ring took approximately two hours to reduce in temperature and turn grey – but it had already become a public attraction with people arriving to see it.
The remainder of that Monday afternoon – with few people working, as the previous day had been New Year’s Eve – crowds visited the enormous metallic ring.
It resembled a central hub for self-portraits, with many people visiting solely to pose in front of it, sparking intriguing discussions about its possible nature.
Local authorities in Makueni county, some 115 kilometers southeast of the capital, Nairobi, have been notified.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) soon became aware of it and organised a trip to investigate on the following day.
Such was the object’s widespread recognition that the villagers of Mukuku were concerned it might be taken secretly under the cover of darkness.
Alongside local authorities, some of them took turns standing watch, building a fire nearby. Their goal was to deter potential rummagers and individuals trying to capitalize on people’s curiosity.
They claim it weighs over 500kg (1,102lb) – roughly equivalent to the weight of an adult horse – and is about 2.5m (8ft) in diameter, similar to the size of a child’s four-seater merry-go-round.
As daylight broke, crowds gathered on New Year’s Eve – soon joined by the KSA team and media onlookers.
Mukuku had never witnessed such a commotion. When the object was transported away later that day by the KSA, the buzz subsided, giving way to anxieties about what the villagers had unknowingly harbored among them.
The KSA stated its initial findings suggested that the object was “a separation ring” from a space launch rocket.
The system claimed “Such objects are usually designed to be destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, or to fall onto unpopulated areas, such as the oceans.”
Several houses in the vicinity were damaged when the object impacted the ground, but fortunately no one was hurt.
Christine Kionga, live approximately a kilometer from the crash site, demonstrated cracks in the concrete of several buildings in her neighborhood. She stated that these cracks had developed following the accident.
Other nearby residents claimed that the structural integrity of their homes has also been compromised, allegations that still need to be verified.
There were reports in local newspapers that some residents experienced health issues after being exposed to the metallic ring, but the people we met during our visit and the relevant authorities couldn’t confirm the claims from the KSA.
However, Mr. Mutuku pointed out concerns regarding the long-term consequences of potential space radiation exposure.
We’re dealing with a space object, and we’re concerned that, as has been the case in similar incidents in the past, there may be long-term radiation effects that could potentially impact not just those directly affected, but also future generations, causing anxiety within the community.
Tests conducted later by the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority showed that the metal ring had elevated radiation levels compared to its surroundings, but the levels were not hazardous to humans.
Engineers from the Saudi Space Agency, established in 2017 to promote and regulate space-related activities in the East African nation, are running further tests to gather more information about the object.
The Director General of KSA stated that it was fortunate that the object’s impact on Earth did not result in significant damage.
According to the Outer Space Treaty, administered by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, “states will be held accountable for damage caused by their space objects”.
“The ring is a widespread component in many rockets and space objects, making it challenging to link it to a specific launch vehicle or space object, although we do have some promising leads, as I mentioned, but our inquiries are still ongoing,” Brigadier Kipkosgey said.
“It is most likely that the object is the upper stage separation ring from an Ariane rocket launched in 2008,” said Matt Archer, its launch director.
-“The spacecraft’s launch vehicle has reached Earth’s atmosphere and has started to disintegrate.”
The Ariane was Europe’s main launch vehicle, which successfully launched more than 230 satellites into orbit until its retirement in 2023.
The ring may have been in orbit around the Earth for approximately 16 years before surprisingly appearing in Mukuku.
This is not the first time space debris has been spotted in East Africa.
Almost one and a half years ago, there were reports of supposed space debris falling across several villages in western Uganda.
A few days ago, on January 8, there were unconfirmed reports of an object appearing to be space debris that was burning visibly above southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya.
As the space industry expands, it is forecast that instances like this will become more common – and African governments may need to invest in methods to more effectively identify such speeding space debris.
According to NASA, there are more than 6,000 tons of space debris currently in orbit.
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These numbers bring little solace to Mukuku’s residents, who can’t help but imagine the level of destruction the ring could have triggered if it had fallen within the village, rather than in the nearby farmland.
We need guarantees from the government that such incidents will not recur.
You may also want to explore further:
- One woman’s tireless crusade to galvanize Africa’s space exploration efforts
- Countries like China, India, and Nigeria, along with the European Space Agency, are contesting for superpower status with ambitious plans for satellite development and deployment.
- Space Debris: What is it and Why is it a Concern?
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