The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) Wednesday explained an incident involving a metallic object that fell from the skies and landed in Mukuku Village, Mukuku Sublocation, Nduluku Location, Waia Division, Mbooni East Sub-County, Makueni County.
The incident happened on December 30, 2024.
The Agency said the object, a metallic ring measuring approximately 2.5 meters in diameter and weighing about 500 kilos is a fragment of a space object.
“Preliminary assessments indicate that the fallen object is a separation ring from a launch vehicle (rocket).”
“Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or to fall over unoccupied areas, such as the oceans,” KSA said in a statement.
It added this is an isolated case, which the agency will investigate and address using the established framework under the International Space law.
KSA 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.
“The Agency wishes to thank the local residents of Mukuku village for their prompt action in reporting the incident to the authorities and for their cooperation in ensuring public safety. We express our gratitude to the local leadership, the multi-agency team, the Makueni County Government, and media houses for disseminating this critical information in a timely manner.”
The statement added the agency experts will analyze the object, use existing frameworks to identify the owner, and keep the public informed of the next steps and outcomes.
Residents were treated to a rare spectacle when they spotted the object.
Witnesses who heard the object fall said they heard a loud bang that stretched as far as 50 kilometres away.
The circular object weighed approximately one tonne and had a radius of 1.2 meters.
“Under normal circumstances, such objects are supposed to burn up completely or land safely in the ocean,” Major Alois Were of the Kenya Defence Forces and who is attached to the KSA said.
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