Space debris discovered in US and Indonesia

Authorities in the United States and Indonesia are investigating recent incidents involving space debris falling to Earth. In Minnesota, state and federal agencies are examining an object found in a cornfield. In Indonesian Borneo, workers at a palm oil plantation in the Sampit area discovered large, torn pieces of metal, some the size of a car, following reports of a loud boom.

While no injuries were reported in either incident, experts warn of a “growing casualty risk on the ground” due to the increasing frequency of orbital launches. A recent European Space Agency assessment highlighted this rising danger. Orbital data indicated that rocket remains passed directly over the region in Borneo during the discovery.