A smoldering carbon-composite object discovered near Newman, Western Australia, on October 18, 2025, is believed to be part of a Chinese Jielong 3 rocket that re-entered Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n A still-smoldering cylindrical object was discovered on October 18 on a remote road approximately 30 km (19 miles) east of Newman in Western Australia\u2019s Pilbara region.<\/p>\n The object was still hot when it was found partially embedded in red sand. Preliminary assessments described it as a carbon-fibre or composite material generally used in aerospace hardware.<\/p>\n Authorities from the Australian Space Agency (ASA), the Western Australia Police Force, and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services secured the site and launched a multi-agency investigation. Officials have ruled out any connection to civil or commercial aircraft and confirmed that the object posed no immediate danger to the public.<\/p>\n Space analyst Marco Langbroek suggests that the debris could be a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) from the upper stage of a Chinese Jielong 3 (Smart Dragon 3) rocket launched in late September 2025. Another independent analyst concluded the same.<\/p>\n They matched the timing and likely re-entry corridor over Western Australia to that mission, making it the most likely candidate object\u2019s origin. Meanwhile, laboratory tests and official orbital correlation by the ASA are still pending.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Australian Space Agency is working alongside local authorities in relation to the suspected space debris discovered in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The debris is likely a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a space launch vehicle,\u201d ASA said.<\/p>\n Smoldering piece of possible space debris found near Newman Western Australia on October 18, 2025. Credit: ASA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Smoldering piece of possible space debris found near Newman Western Australia on October 18, 2025. Credit: WA Police Force<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Smoldering piece of possible space debris found near Newman Western Australia on October 18, 2025. Credit: WA Police Force<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Smoldering piece of possible space debris found near Newman Western Australia on October 18, 2025. Credit: WA Police Force<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Specialists note that while most spacecraft fragments disintegrate during atmospheric re-entry, dense structures such as pressure vessels, fuel tanks, or engine sections can survive and reach the surface at potentially hazardous speeds depending on descent dynamics.<\/p>\n The recovered object has been secured and is undergoing analysis at a facility in Western Australia. Authorities have not provided a timeline for when test results will be released.<\/p>\n![\"Smoldering](\"https:\/\/watchers.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Possible-space-debris-found-near-Newman-Western-Australia-on-October-18-2025-3-845x1024.webp\")
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![\"Smoldering](\"https:\/\/watchers.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Possible-space-debris-found-near-Newman-Western-Australia-on-October-18-2025-2.webp\")
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