Explained: How did Indian PSLV rocket debris end up on an Australian beach?

A mysterious, cylindrical object that was found on a beach near Jurein Bay in Western Australia is "most likely debris from an expended third-stage of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)", the Australian Space Agency announced on Monday, July 31.

The Australian Space Agency(ASA) first mentioned this object on July 17after media reports on the subject sparkedspeculations about the likely origins of the mysterious object found on the beach.

On social media, enthusiasts initially linked this mysterious object to the missing Malaysian plane MH370, a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft that went missing in the year 2014, with 239 persons on board.

Some even speculated that the object had military origins.

As a coincidence, the news of this debris being spotted along the shores ofa small Australian coastal town, came barely days after Australia-based social media users shared photos of India's Chandrayaan-3 upper-stage flight being visible over parts of Australia.

The Chandrayaan-3 flight being visible over parts of Australia was initially speculated as a UFO sightingin that part of the world.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on India's LVM3 rocket, at 2:35 pm Indian Standard Time on July 14 and the news of the debris spotting came on July 17.

However, the debris had no connection to the Chandrayaan-3 mission or the LVM3 rocket that launched it.

PSLV is an Indian spacefaring rocket that has performed 58 launch missions and had its maiden launch in the year 1993.

The PSLV is a four-stage rocket that is powered by solid and liquid fuels. The first stage is powered by solids, the second by liquids, the third by solids and the fourth by liquids. India uses the PSLV to launch satellites weighing between 500 kgs and 1,750 kgs.

It is the most-flown Indian spacefaring rocket and a highly-reliable one at that.

The PSLV has the unique distinction of lofting most of the 431 foreign-origin satellites that India has put into space, as part of commercial arrangements. The PSLV launched India's maiden Lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 and its only Mars mission, Mangalyaan. Soon, PSLV will also be launching India's maiden mission to study the Sun.

"The debris remains in storage and the Australian Space Agency is working with ISRO, who will provide further confirmation to determine the next steps, including considering obligations under the United Nations space treaties", the ASA tweeted on Monday, 31^stJuly.

It also urged its citizens to report to local authorities, if they happen to spot any similar debris.

WION answers the key questions and the possibilities in this case:

Is this really debris from PSLV?

The #Australian #space agency has concluded that the object on their Western coast is most likely a #PSLV 3rd stage debris

Left- Debris on Aus beach
Right- PSLV 3rd stage
(Both are 2m dia)

I have confirmation from sources that this is a non-metallic object. So, it could float pic.twitter.com/vU90oJ8u8t

Images available in the open domain indicate the visual similarities between the debris on the beach and the PSLV 3rd stage.

The third stage of the PSLV is of two-metrediameter and the same dimensions are being mentioned in reports about the object on Australian shores.

The Australian space agency had also said that this piece of debris was most likely a solid rocket motor casing.

It is noteworthy that very few spacefaring rockets in the world use a solid-fueled third stage. The Indian PSLV (and the newer SSLV rocket) is among the few rockets to do so. However, almost all missiles are powered by solid fuel.

Which PSLV launch can this be traced to?

Highly-placed sources told WION that this third-stage debris can't be specifically linked to any particular PSLV mission. However, given the barnacles attached to the debris and its worn-out appearance, it would be safe to assume that it is several months or a few years old and has been adrift at sea for a long time.

How did it reach the shore?

During a rocket's ascent to space, spent rocket parts are jettisoned mid-flight and space agencies take special efforts to ensure that such objects fall only in the high seas and as far as possible from any nation, their territorial waters or inhabited land.

However, once the rocket parts are ditched in the sea, there are all kinds of possibilities. Some parts could get trapped in fishing nets and could be brought ashore, some could end up floating and would be at the mercy of the ocean current and could wash up on shores.

WION has learnt that the said object on Australian shores is non-metallic and could have possibly floated to the Western Australian coast. There are also instances of spent rocket parts which spend years circling the earth and re-enter the earth in an uncontrolled manner and end up falling on inhabited regions.

Is an ISRO team visiting Australia to study the object?

WION has learnt that the Indian mission in Australia would coordinate with the relevant agencies in the countryfor further discussion in this regard.

What are the United Nations guidelines on space debris?

As per the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs(UNOOSA), the recovery and return of space debris is a central part of the 1968 Rescue Agreement. The treaty requires that StateParties return any "foreign" space objects discovered in their territory to their owners and that they notify the Secretary-General of any such discovered objects.

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