Space debris: 500-kilogram rocket part crashes in Kenya

A piece of space debris weighing 500 kilograms has crashed near a village in southern Kenya. No one was injured in the crash. This is according to a statement from the country's space agency, in which the KSA (Kenya Space Agency) adds that it is now in possession of the object. The object in question is an almost two and a half meter separating ring from a rocket. In pictures taken by local media, it appears largely intact. Normally, such objects should burn up in the atmosphere or crash over uninhabited areas.

Praise for the population

According to the report, the KSA learned of the impact on December 31, after which KSA representatives rushed to the crash site. The local population reacted exemplary and reported the incident. They can assure us that the object poses no "immediate danger to safety" and is now being analyzed. Among other things, it will be determined who it originally came from. It is an isolated incident that will be dealt with in accordance with the rules of international agreements.

The problem of crashing space debris has also increased recently as a result of increasing activities in space. A year ago, for example, a discarded battery pallet from the International Space Station (ISS), which did not burn up completely in the Earth's atmosphere, attracted particular attention. Previously, significantly larger Chinese rocket stages had caused a stir several times when they crashed to earth. Under international law, the countries from which the objects originate must pay for any damage.

(mho)