Australian authorities are working to determine the nature of "space debris" that washed ashore on the western coast of the country, particularly its unknown origin.
The Australian Space Agency stated that the cylinder, approximately two and a half meters tall and partially made from a gold-colored woven material, "is likely to be a casing from a solid rocket motor."
The rusty object was discovered on Saturday near the "Green Head" area, about 250 kilometers north of Perth, leading to theories that it may have been part of a downed passenger aircraft.
The police placed a guarded cordon around the device, fearing it might pose a danger, while experts worked to identify its nature.
On Wednesday, the police stated, "Contrary to speculation, there is no evidence to support the theory that the object is in any way connected to a commercial aircraft."
They added, "After extensive consultations with government and national agencies experienced in maritime, aviation, defense, and space industries, it is believed that the object is related to a missile system," as reported by the British newspaper "The Guardian."
A police spokesperson explained that "the initial assessment of the object indicates that it pertains to the space industry, and it is likely to be space debris, with additional precautions taken to ensure that the object does not pose any threat to the community."
The Australian Space Agency has taken on the task of determining the nature of this object and previously stated that the cylinder could be "part of a foreign spacecraft," working with international agencies in an attempt to identify it.
Since then, they have said that the object "is likely a casing from a solid rocket motor."
Many on social media have linked the debris found to the unmanned spacecraft launched by the Indian Space Research Organization on Friday to the far south pole of the moon.
