Mysterious debris found on Australian beaches could be ‘space balls'

Rare metallic objects have been washed up on Australian beach which is assumed to be space debris.

As reported by BBC, the Australian authorities are investigating the origins of mysterious large spheres that washed up on a beach in northern Queensland this weekend.

The Australian Space Agency (ASA) is now trying to determine from where the six solid objects discovered on Forrest Beach came from.

There has been some speculation online that the spheres are propellant tanks for spacecraft, and so could contain residual amounts of a highly flammable or reactive substance.

Crews in protective suits were reportedly seen placing the spheres in hazmat barrels under police guard, over concerns they may contain hazardous substances.

Queensland's fire department said on Sunday that a 50m exclusion zone remained in place, urging anyone who found a suspicious object in the area not to touch them.

It advised members of the public who encounter them should immediately move away and call the emergency services.

Notably it is not the first time, however, that such mysterious objects have been spotted on Australia's shoreline.

In 2023, a giant metal dome that washed up on a Western Australian beach near Perth was from one of the space rockets.

Space agency spokesman later told the BBC that it was from one of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles PSLV.

Additionally, a spherical object similar to those discovered this weekend was also found in remote grassland in Namibia, southern Africa, in 2011.

Because space debris often carries highly reactive components, authorities treated the scene with extreme caution.

An initial emergency zone was declared under the Public Safety Preservation Act. While the immediate threat level has been downgraded and the public safety order revoked, a 50-meter exclusion zone remains active around the recovery site.