11-foot metal object found in Minnesota cornfield suspected to be Chinese rocket debris
A farmer discovered a charred bowl-shaped object in his field; investigators believe it may be from a Zhuque-2E rocket launched by Chinese company LandSpace.
What to know
- An 11-foot charred metal bowl was found in a Minnesota cornfield on October 14; investigators suspect it is debris from a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket that re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
- The object contains serial numbers that could help identify its origin and owner, and authorities found no public danger from the discovery.
- A second piece of suspected Chinese rocket debris was found in Indonesia days later, highlighting growing risks from commercial space launches leaving debris across populated regions.
Space commercialization is creating an uncontrolled debris problem that threatens populated areas.
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“And the wild wild west of space commercialization has only just begun.”
AkaSci · Mastodon ↗
“The mysterious, shiny object has not been conclusively identified, but it might be space junk from a rocket built by the Chinese company LandSpace and launched on September 15.”
Smithsonian Magazine · Smithsonian ↗
Stevens County Sheriff's Office Investigating agencyLandSpace Chinese aerospace companyMinnesota farmer Object discoverer
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Investigations ongoing; authorities confirm no public danger from the object
Authorities continued their investigation into the object's origin and identity while assuring the public there was no danger from the discovery.
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Smithsonian reports object has not been conclusively identified but likely Chinese rocket debris
The mysterious object remains unconfirmed but experts suspect it is space junk from the Zhuque-2E rocket launched on September 15, with similar discoveries also occurring from other LandSpace launches.
“Most materials burn up or break apart, but some dense or heat-resistant components can survive and reach the ground.”
— NASA · source -
first by Hindustan Times, 14d ago · also Smithsonian
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first by Times of India, 11d ago
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Aerospace observers suggest object is from Zhuque-2E rocket launched September 15
MPR News, citing evidence from Ars Technica, reported that the Minnesota object could be associated with a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket developed by aerospace company LandSpace. The rocket stage likely re-entered Earth's atmosphere after its primary mission, with dense components surviving the re-entry process.
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October 14 - A large spent rocket part is found in Minnesota. October 18 - Another large piece of space junk is found in Indonesia. Likely from Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket launches on Sep 15 and Oct 14, resp. And the wild wild west of space commercialization has only just begun. 🚀 🙁 https:// gizmodo.com/a-minnesota-farmer…
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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A Minnesota Farmer Found an 11-Foot Metal Object in His Cornfield. It Came From Space https:// gizmodo.com/a-minnesota-farmer -found-an-11-foot-metal-object-in-his-cornfield-it-came-from-space-2000829314?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Science @ science-Gizmodo
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Metal debris from suspected Chinese rocket found in Indonesia — Another large piece of space debris was discovered in Borneo, believed to be shed by a different LandSpace rocket, occurring days after the Minnesota discovery.
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Stevens County Sheriff's Office retrieves object and begins investigation — Deputies responded to the scene and recovered the metallic object, describing it as presumably a space object. Officials noted the presence of serial numbers on the device that could help identify its origin and owner.
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Minnesota farmer discovers 11-foot metal object in cornfield — While harvesting corn in Scott Township, Stevens County, a farmer found a charred, bowl-shaped metal object measuring approximately 11 feet across. The farmer estimated it had been in the field for about six weeks based on crop conditions around it.