Overview

• Mine workers found the object burning about 30 kilometres east of Newman at roughly 2:00pm on Saturday and alerted emergency services.
• Initial assessments describe carbon-fibre construction consistent with a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel or rocket tank used in aerospace systems.
• The Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed the debris did not come from a commercial aircraft, narrowing the focus to space re-entry materials.
• WA Police say the object has been secured with no current threat to public safety as a multi-agency investigation continues with the mine operator and emergency services.
• Photos released by police show a black, dome-shaped item with flames in its centre, and reports note past WA re-entry finds including Skylab remnants in 1979 and an ISRO stage in 2023.