back to article Unidentified object on Australian beach may be part of Indian rocket launcher

The Australian Space Agency said on Monday it was making enquiries related to a mysterious cylindrical object that washed ashore on Western Australia's Jurien Bay. The agency detailed that it was "working to confirm whether the object could be part of a foreign space launch vehicle that has washed up on shore, and liaising …

  1. alain williams Silver badge

    What, not alien ?

    I thought that everything unidentified had to be classed as being from a civilisation light years away.

    Does this mean that we might be entering a phase of objective reality ... at the start of the newspaper silly season ?

    Maybe we should get worried that the Australian government is suppressing the truth.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: What, not alien ?

      It's the northern hemisphere silly season - but maybe not in Oz.

    2. MrDamage

      Re: What, not alien ?

      Nah, we just want to make sure it is Indian before we send them a littering fine, just like we did for Skylab.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What, not alien ?

      You think aliens travel halfway across the universe to die from an animal bite?

      The rocket is clearly part of the Emus preparations for the next Emu war...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: What, not alien ?

        Spent ages trying to think of emu related funnies, but, well, judge for yourselves:

        The first reference was rather old, who would recognise it? Besides, the photo shows no Rod near the Hull.

        Try a photo caption: "I told you we don't know how to fly this thing" or "if you think I'm sitting on THAT egg..."

        Kept thinking hard, trying to be emusing. There was one about a very large emu, but you'd never speak to me again if I used it; I didn't want to risk being ostrich-sized.

        1. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

          Re: What, not alien ?

          I thought the egg was from Chelys galactica.

      2. LionelB Silver badge

        Re: What, not alien ?

        Wouldn't that be cassowaries? Terrifying, and, like any other blue-headed critter, obviously alien.

  2. xyz Silver badge

    I'll need beer goggles for the mermaid though

    More info...

    https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/60380/1/mysterious-metal-object-kicked-ufo-rumours-australia-beach-foreign-space-vehicle

    And on musk-o-vision there is this...

    https://twitter.com/CandiceHorbacz/status/1680943216646934529

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BBC clickbait

    They described it as mysterious, I didn’t click

    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      Re: BBC clickbait

      Pretty much everything is a mystery to the Bbc. They're currently getting all excited about hot weather and if McDonalds has a 'Me Too' problem, which the Bbc does and it still hasn't sacked it's pervy presenter.

      But if anyone can prove this used to be in the air, then it was a genuine UFO! Ish. At least till it's identified.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: BBC clickbait

        In general, you don't sack people on medical leave and the enquiry is still ongoing, so that's not really a surprise.

      2. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: BBC clickbait

        They're currently getting all excited about hot weather

        People love to have a go at BBC without first checking that all the news outlets are running the same hot weather story.

      3. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

        Re: BBC clickbait

        The hottest day in recorded history is not a weather story, it's a climate story.

        Unless your hypothesis is that the entire northern hemisphere has the same weather.

        1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

          Re: BBC clickbait

          The hottest day in recorded history is not a weather story, it's a climate story.

          Nah, hottest day is very much weather. Hottest arbitary 30yr trend is climate. Then there's the issue with 'recorded history' and that the report was based on computer modelling done at the University of Maine. And in climate terms, yes, the nothern hemisphere has the same climate as they're generally constrained by the equatorial air and ocen currents. Except when trying to erase the LIA and MWP, in which case they're just unexplained regional phenomena.

          But itf the Bbc can't understand that, it's no suprise it finds mystery in an object washed up on a beach, and a washed up presenter.

          1. DJO Silver badge

            Re: BBC clickbait

            One very hot day in isolation is weather but when year after year you get a new "hottest day in history" then it's climate.

            1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

              Re: BBC clickbait

              One very hot day in isolation is weather but when year after year you get a new "hottest day in history" then it's climate

              Nope, it's still just weather. Previous temperature records set in the US in 1913 still haven't been beaten yet. We have no idea what the hottest day in 536AD was, so what do you mean by 'history'? Climate is long, weather data are short, and often ignored-

              https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66237583

              In the weeks before the heat dome settled over the state, Las Vegas had been unusually cool. It recorded more than 260 consecutive days below 100F (38C).

              Again weather, not climate, but what do they mean by 'unusually cool', and how can this be with Thermageddon fast approaching? Or..

              Meteorologist Trevor Boucher told BBC News one reason the Las Vegas heat feels so relentless is because there is little respite. Instead of heat escaping during the night, Mr Boucher said the ground continues to reflect the heat it absorbed during the day.

              If the Bbc had a science team, or editors that knew anything about science, it may have realised the problem with that statement. Or maybe the Moon's achieved fusion and nobody has told the Bbc. If they can't spot a simple error like that, anything washed up on a beach will seem mysterious to our modern-day Cargo Cultists.

              1. DJO Silver badge

                Re: BBC clickbait

                The 1913 Death Valley reading is highly contested and is without any corroborative data such as high readings in proximal locations. Probably the thermometer was not fully shielded from direct sunlight.

                Over the last 30 or so years there has been a year on year increase in the highest recorded temperature. This is what is called a "trend" and that "trend" is 100% down to climate change. Argue all you want but climate change is real and has its roots in irresponsible fossil fuel use.

                1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                  Re: BBC clickbait

                  The 1913 Death Valley reading is highly contested and is without any corroborative data such as high readings in proximal locations. Probably the thermometer was not fully shielded from direct sunlight.

                  Also during a sandstorm, which would have shielded it from direct sunlight, but not temperature. But it's important to erase inconvenient truths, and maintain temperature records created when 4x Eurofighters took off at Coningsby..

                  Over the last 30 or so years there has been a year on year increase in the highest recorded temperature. This is what is called a "trend" and that "trend" is 100% down to climate change.

                  Except nobody can prove this. Especially in the UK where July is currently cooler than average.

                  1. DJO Silver badge

                    Re: BBC clickbait

                    And nobody can prove that it's not either also the current trend follows almost exactly the predictions made by climatologists over the last 30 or so years. For fucks sake climate is a chaotic environment, you could run it a thousand times with the exact same starting configuration and it would come out different every time but the overall trend is beyond any reasonable doubt so all you have left is unreasonable doubt which is where the useful idiots come in.

                    Ever heard of the "precautionary principle"? If emissions are a problem cutting them will be a good thing, if emissions are not a problem then cutting them will do no harm.

                    Even the most diehard doubter must concede that there must be a limit to the amount of CO2 that can be pumped into the atmosphere (if you say no, allow me to shut you in a chamber with 10% CO2 and see how you like it) so if you agree there is a limit what is it and how did you get that figure? To which I suppose your answer will be along the lines of "I don't know, I'm not an expert" so if that's so how come you feel equipped to deny climate change?

                    Also your last statement: "Especially in the UK where July is currently cooler than average." well that's probably a lie: The Met Office has predicted that 2023 will be hotter than 2022, and one of the warmest years on record. Temperatures are predicted to rise by between 1.08C and 1.32C, which will mark the 10th year in a row that global temperatures will reach at least 1C above average.

                    Highest July temperatures before 2023: July 25 2019 38.7C, hottest ever: July 19 2023 40.3C

                    1. DJO Silver badge

                      Re: BBC clickbait

                      Ran out of time to edit.

                      Actually it's not the highest temperature that's the biggest problem, the big problem which not many people appreciate is the increase in the lowest temperatures in the winter - so instead of it always getting below zero in the winter and there always being at least a few frosts we are heading towards winters where it never goes below zero. This might sound good for people but for agriculture and nature it will be an unmitigated disaster.

                  2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

                    Re: BBC clickbait

                    "Except nobody can prove this. Especially in the UK where July is currently cooler than average."

                    Ever heard of the jet stream? Have a look at how it's currently located. Choose your own weather source.

                    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                      Re: BBC clickbait

                      Ever heard of the jet stream? Have a look at how it's currently located. Choose your own weather source.

                      Yep. That was the reason for the UK's record temperature. 8 jetstreams near the weather station at Coningsby. Someone looked at the data, thought it was anomalous given the preceding and following temps were normal, and sent the RAF an FOI request. A flight of 4 Typhoons took off at that time, and the weather station is close to the runway. So in that case, the warming was man-made, but nothing to do with dogma.

                      I haven't really bothered to check if either the Bbc or Met Office have issued a correction. But such is science. Airports need accurate weather data, but operations affect the environment and monitoring kit. Basic UHI stuff, and whether weather stations used for 'global' warming are reliable. Then, as any real scientist knows, you never adjust the raw data. The sample is what it is, so how to add a note that the reading is anomalous and should not be used to claim records, or model UK or global temperature trends because erroneous highs will distort those. It'll also make reanalysis a whole lot harder if the reality you're comparing your model against is wrong.

                      There is an official dispute process, but that takes time and is often opoosed because dogma needs highs. It also needs someone to look at the data and think 'hmm, that's odd' rather than simply rushing it to the PR department to make headlines. Or rushing out a story about flotsam and jetsam on a beach. Not mysterious, just unidentified at that point in time.

              2. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

                Re: BBC clickbait

                We have a surprisingly good idea what the climate was like in 536 AD, through dendrochronology and surrogates like nitrates in ice cores. Weather not so much, except maybe as area under the curve.

                So if this is weather and not climate, can you give me a valid weather forecast for the northern hemisphere for tomorrow?

                Remember that if you're ok accepting dumbing down of subtleties of language, you're on the path that leads to communicating with points and grunts. Maybe further than you realise.

                1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                  Re: BBC clickbait

                  We have a surprisingly good idea what the climate was like in 536 AD, through dendrochronology and surrogates like nitrates in ice cores. Weather not so much, except maybe as area under the curve

                  Nope, we do not. Dendrophrenology attempts to convert wood density into temperatures. It gave the problem of the Hockey Stick and hiding the decline. All proxies have the same challenge, ie you calibrate the most recent say, 100yrs of ring density against known instrumental temperature records, assume a density:temperature correlation and work backwards. If the instrumental record is 'adjusted', so lowering the 1913 temperature record, the calibration is no longer valid, and neither are the results nor conclusions. For ice cores, the challenge is different give snowfall takes a while to compact and dissolved or trapped gases diffuse. So the most recent snowfall is going to be the hardest to calibrate. Then if you calibrate using wooden thermometers, you're just compounding errrors and uncertainties. Ice cores are also very low resolution, ie Vostok's 600ka record is made from (memory) only 36 slices. So it'll tell you nothing about 536AD, only the time interval contained in that specific slice. And being spatially constrained, it doesn't really tell you anything about global temperatures, only the location the sample was taken from. And are you sure about nitrates? It's usually stuff like CO2, CH4, O-18 isotopes.

                  Alternatively, there's other historical evidence like tax records. Phil Jones of Climategate fame once famously drew conclusions about global warming from old Chinese crop harvests. Slight snag when China changed it's calendar system, and it took a while for Jones to realise. But those kinds of records show past climate change, sometimes with catastrophic results, eg the LIA conditions leading to crop failures, food shortages and the French Revolution. Climate 'scientists' deny this evidence of course because they're inconvenient truths. Especially when it also shows CO2 follows warming and the rain doesn't follow the plough. Then there's just the homeopathic aspect, ie the exact relationship between CO2 and temperature. If temperatures were higher, or even similar to today, but CO2 levels were both much higher, and lower, there's clearly very little correlation and CO2 sensitivity must be low. But crop scientists already know this, hence CO2 is pumped into greenhouses to improve crop yields via photosynthesis, not to warm the greenhouses.

                  So if this is weather and not climate, can you give me a valid weather forecast for the northern hemisphere for tomorrow?

                  Sure-

                  https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts

                  This is a current best guess based on a shedload of number crunching from a lot of collected weather data. As technology and science have improved, day-ahead and longer range forecasts have become more accurate.

                  ...you're on the path that leads to communicating with points and grunts. Maybe further than you realise.

                  Or waving hocky sticks and believing they're accurate and reliable thermometers. They're not. Science says 'no'. Hence climate 'science' behaving like a religion with anyone disagreeing being labelled as a heretic and a 'denier'. Meanwhile, if you're a 'climate expert', you can jet off for a quick summer break-

                  https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2023/07/21/justin-rowlatt-flies-to-spain-to-tell-us-its-hot-there/#more-65828

                  The Bbc's top climate expert flies to Spain to tell us it's hot in summer. Who knew? It's ok though because the Bbc can probably buy offsets for sending a gormless twat jetting off to Spain to promote climate dogma.

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: BBC clickbait

        Pervy presenter??

        The young person concerned has had her solicitor publicly state the whole accusation is rubbish.

        Maybe you didn't notice that BBC article...

        1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

          Re: BBC clickbait

          Maybe you didn't notice that BBC article...

          Sure I did. I even read it. Did you? Something I noticed about the story was people reporting it seemed very careful to avoid gendering the accuser. So given the article didn't contain the person's gender, why do you assume 'her solicitor'?

          It also doesn't say the whole accusation was rubbish, it said "nothing inappropriate or unlawful". One sexually explicit image of someone under 18 and it becomes unlawful because someone under 18 can't consent. Inappropriate is more subjective. The Bbc's still running stories about misconduct at McDonalds. It seems to think relations between a 61yr old and a 17yr old are appropriate. Others may disagree. Then there were accusations of breaking lockdowns, which the Bbc's been banging on about with Johnson and the Tories for months now.

    2. jmch

      Re: BBC clickbait

      BBC did at least provide a photo and dimensions in the article - approx 2.5m * 3m, which makes the following police statement a bit bizarre

      "It warned the local population against handling or moving the object"

      1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

        Re: BBC clickbait

        BBC did at least provide a photo and dimensions in the article - approx 2.5m * 3m, which makes the following police statement a bit bizarre

        Not really. It is Australia, and they don't want it loaded onto a ute and taken to the nearest scrap yard for 'recycling'. Especially given some space junk can contain fun stuff like hydrazine or even RTGs. Or it might even be evidence that could help an accident investigation.

        It's kind of a fascinating process. I once had a chat with someone who worked for the Receiver of Wrecks, which is an ancient and noble tradition that according to wiki allows "them to "hurt, maim or kill" anyone obstructing them in their duties". They didn't mention that at the time, and I doubt my old dog would have saved me. Not sure if Australia follows that tradition, and I guess the UK ones have a less pleasent task of dealing with the 'Royal Fish', or the pod of whales that beached up north. Can't be much fun after a few days of summer. Sounded like an interesting job though figuring out what stuff is, who it belonged to, and how to get rid of it.

    3. LionelB Silver badge

      Re: BBC clickbait

      Errmm, nobody knew what it was or how it got there. How is that not mysterious?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Uncontrolled reentry?

    Looks like the thing floated around for a long time before washing up on a beach. The generally accepted safe deorbiting method is to bring things down in the pacific. Looks like this bit didn't sink and floated around until it eventually found land. They've been using these for ages, so it may not the one from last week.

    1. Paul Herber Silver badge

      Re: Uncontrolled reentry?

      Doesn't look like a floaty-float-float thing, looks more like a sinky-sink-sink metal object.

      1. DCdave

        Re: Uncontrolled reentry?

        It does look like metal in the photos, however reports state that it was seen floating in the shallows and was dragged out of the water by a 4x4. People on the scene described it being made of something like carbon fibre or a lightweight resin (which doesn't sound very substantial for part of a space vehicle).

    2. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Uncontrolled reentry?

      The preferred target is the Spacecraft Cemetery but if this is a solid rocket stage then there wasn't much choice about where it came down. (That's not my department...)

  5. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
    Facepalm

    7.6 long tons of Hydroxyl-Terminated Poly Butadiene

    Long tons? Really? Is that unit from an ISRO press release or the Oz media? I'd be surprised if either used that outdated unit. Or has the article been "updated" for a US audience, possibly the only country still using that unit?

    1. MrDamage

      Re: 7.6 long tons of Hydroxyl-Terminated Poly Butadiene

      It's a well known fact that the "Bastions of Freedom(tm)" all use the imperial units. USA, Burma and Liberia.

      1. Barry Rueger

        Re: 7.6 long tons of Hydroxyl-Terminated Poly Butadiene

        It's a well known fact that the "Bastions of Freedom(tm)" all use the imperial units. USA, Burma and Liberia.

        Yo Buddy! And Canada! Sometimes, not all the time, but especially in construction, lumber yards, and baking.

        Shoe and clothing sizes just pick a random number

  6. spold Silver badge
    Joke

    Yes but....

    It's not like people get squished by falling space junk often..... it's usually just the once....

  7. Tron Silver badge

    Is it anything like this?

    Mystery sphere found on beach perplexes Japan.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64730255

    1. Blue Pumpkin

      Re: Is it anything like this?

      Looks like Rover, Number 6 ….

      1. Ken Shabby Silver badge
        Pint

        Re: Is it anything like this?

        It’s an experimental jumbo tinny of XXXX. The project got canned. The icon is stretching it a bit, but at least it won’t kill you, probably.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Is it anything like this?

          I think if you drank that much XXXX it most likely would kill you ...

  8. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge

    AI

    With all the AI we apparently have which supposedly knows all knowledge known to mankind - I am surprised none have been able to instantly tell us what it is.

    Or where Paris Hilton disappeared to.

    1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

      Re: AI

      To be fair to PH, she has claimed her life back and is in control of her own destiny at last, enjoying being a Mother to her son.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58988523

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001k7rb

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's a digeridildo. Anything that is in Australia can kill you to be fair.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The agency detailed...

    By posting on LinkedIn???

    What??

    Twitter perhaps, but - LinkedIn?

    Sorry, can't think of anything more to say, bogglement overload!

  11. david 12 Silver badge

    "It warned the local population against handling or moving the object."

    O FFS. Another self-aggrandizing 'warning' from self-important nobs.

    Hydroxyl-Terminated Poly Butadiene (HTPB) solid propellant is dangerous because it is so reactive that is disappears when in contact with anything other than it's fuel tank -- which is so safe and stable that it can contain even HTPB.

    After spending time in the ocean, the space junk is less dangerous than the average shopping trolley or old tire.

    1. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

      Re: "It warned the local population against handling or moving the object."

      You recognise UMDH by its smell, do you?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        UMDH by its smell

        UDMH has got that stale ammoniacal smell, like neglected gents toilets, or over-ripe fruits de mer, so on an Australian coastline it might not stand out, to be honest.

        (Speaking as a connoisseur of lab fridges, you understand.)

  12. Winkypop Silver badge
    Alert

    It’s WA mate!

    I’d be more worried about the locals than some space tat.

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