The Indian space chief has asserted that a large metal dome found on an Australian beach is undoubtedly part of a rocket; however, its Indian origin remains unconfirmed until further analysis is conducted. The discovery at Green Head beach, located about 250km north of Perth, has spurred intense speculation since its weekend sighting.

Initially, some speculated that the object might be related to India’s recent Moon mission launch, but this was quickly debunked by experts. The cylindrical debris, measuring approximately 2.5m wide and 2.5m to 3m long, has generated considerable curiosity among the local residents.

Earlier, there were suggestions that the wreckage might have belonged to MH370, a plane that went missing in 2014 with 239 passengers on board off the west Australian coast. However, aviation experts ruled out this possibility and proposed that it could be a fuel tank from a rocket that had fallen into the Indian Ocean at some point.

The Australian Space Agency indicated that the object might have come from a “foreign space launch vehicle,” leading to speculations that it could be a fuel tank from India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), commonly used by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch satellites.

Though India had recently launched the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft to the Moon, experts argued that the debris had been in the water for several months, supported by photos showing extensive barnacle growth. Mr. S Somanath, the head of ISRO, clarified that there was no mystery surrounding the object, confirming it was part of a rocket. However, he emphasized that without direct observation and analysis, its specific origin could not be confirmed. According to him, some PSLV parts were known to have fallen into the sea beyond Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and this object might have been floating for a considerable period before washing ashore.

Mr. Somanath also reassured that there was no danger associated with the debris. Nonetheless, Australian authorities treated the item as hazardous, urging people to maintain a safe distance due to concerns that it might contain toxic materials. Further details from the Australian authorities are yet to be released.