Unidentified giant space object falls in Kenyan village, ring-shaped object 2.5m in diameter and weighing 500kg

A large, ring-shaped space object has fallen in Kenya. The object is believed to be part of a rocket, but details are unknown and the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is continuing its investigation.

Following the discovery of a metallic fragment of a space object in Mukuku Village, Makueni County, the Kenya Space Agency has issued the following statement. Read more for details on the incident, preliminary findings, and next steps.

pic.twitter.com/n8gsvoKku4

— Kenya Space Agency (@SpaceAgencyKE) January 1, 2025

Massive piece of space junk crashes into village in Kenya — and officials still have no idea where it came from | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/space/massive-piece-of-space-junk-crashes-into-village-in-kenya-and-officials-still-have-no-idea-where-it-came-from

Police, Kenya Space Agency officials say the metal object that landed in Makueni is a foreign object - YouTube


The ring-shaped space object fell on the village of Mukuku in southern Kenya on December 30, 2024. Residents near the impact site testified that 'the object floated in the air for a while before crashing to the ground with a loud noise' and 'the object was hot and red at first, but then cooled down and turned gray.'

According to an official statement from the KSA, the object is about 2.5 meters in diameter and weighs about 500 kg. The KSA speculates that the object is a 'part that separated from a rocket,' but it is not clear which rocket it came from.

Although it is common for rocket parts to fall to Earth, these parts are basically designed to burn up when entering the atmosphere and are controlled to fall into the ocean. For this reason, it is extremely rare for a rocket to fall to the ground while retaining its shape, as in this case. KSA is working to clarify the details while checking the provisions of international space law.

At the time of writing, there was no evidence to suggest which rocket the object came from, but there have been reports on the Internet alleging a link to an Indian space agency or a specific space mission. The KSA has called these reports false and urged people to wait for the results of an official investigation.

While Nation Africa has posted this claim, it is important to clarify that investigations into the object's origin are still ongoing, and no official statement has been issued linking the debris to the Indian Space Research Organization or any specific space mission. The Kenya… pic.twitter.com/1icJgs4RIC

— Kenya Space Agency (@SpaceAgencyKE) January 3, 2025