On December 30, a strange metallic object appeared in the sky over Kenya. A metal ring, approximately 2.5 meters in diameter and weighing almost 500 kg, fell in Mukuku village in Makueni County, causing a stir among residents and local authorities. After preliminary investigation, it was suggested that this object could be space debris. This discovery raises many questions, in particular because of the uncertainties concerning its origin and the risks associated with the presence of space debris in the atmosphere.
The incident in Kenya: a strange object and an emergency context
On December 30, around 3 p.m., a metal ring fell in the village of Mukuku, south of Kenyaafter entering the atmosphere. According to initial findings, the object appeared to be “hot” when it entered the atmosphere, suggesting that it underwent atmospheric reentry. The Kenya Space Agency (KSA), which took charge of the debris, quickly secured the area. Saudi authorities later recovered the object.
The weight of the object, almost 500 kg, as well as its diameter of 2.5 meterssuggest that it could be part of a large piece of space debris. This discovery naturally led the authorities to open an official investigation to determine the exact nature of the object and study its origin.
The first hypotheses
The first elements of the investigation made it possible to put forward several hypotheses. Darren McKnight, a space debris expert, suggested the object could be a piece of a rocket body that had re-entered the atmosphere. After analyzing the data, a more precise hypothesis emerged: the object could be linked to a launch dating from 2004. It would be a rocket body from the Atlas Centaur launcha model rocket used by the US military to send a military satellite into orbit. Object 28385identified as a rocket body, would have followed a trajectory crossing Africa, and theoretically should have entered the atmosphere on December 30, which would coincide with the fall of the object in Kenya.
However, this hypothesis is the subject of debate among experts. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and atmospheric re-entry specialist, has expressed doubts about this theory. According to him, data collected by the US Space Force shows that rocket body 28385 actually entered the atmosphere above Lake Baikal, Russia, far from Kenya. This contradictory information therefore leaves the whole mystery.
The challenges of identifying and managing space debris
This incident highlights the importance of space debris management. With the increase in commercial and military space launches, the number of debris orbiting Earth continues to grow. These objects, which sometimes come from rockets or disabled satellites, can cause considerable risks when they fall back to Earth. Space agencies around the world, including NASA and ESA, closely monitor these objects and their trajectories to avoid any danger to the population.
In the case of Kenya, local authorities, helped by international experts, continue to investigate to determine the exact origin of the debris and assess the potential risks.
