A partially burnt metal fragment of a space object fell from the sky and landed in Mukukuku village in Makueni County, Kenya on Monday.
The impact on the ground was accompanied by a loud explosion, the rumble of which caused mild fear among villagers who gathered around the ring-shaped object, speculating on its origin and threat to their general safety.
No one was injured in its fall. After initial investigations, the Kenya Space Agency released a statement confirming that the object was a separation ring from a launch vehicle.
Such components are usually designed to burn up upon re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere or fall into uninhabited areas such as oceans. The agency also said this isolated incident will be thoroughly investigated.
