Space junk from Chinese rocket lands in WA

Suspected ‘Space junk’ likely crashed in the Pilbara region of Western Australia on Saturday afternoon. Miners stumbled upon the debris on fire, lying in the middle of a dirt road.

Space Archeologists including Associate Professor Alice Gorman from Flinders University have linked the object to the fourth-stage launch of China’s Jielong-3 rocket.

The Australian Space Agency also said that the object was “likely a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a space launch vehicle”.

Despite the crash causing no harm, it does call attention to the accumulating congestion of ‘Space junk’ surrounding the Earth.

Image: Image: Courtesy WA Police

Produced By: Maeve Groom

Featured In Story: Associate Professor Alice Gorman – Space Archaeologist at Flinders University

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 22 October 2025