On 18 October 2025, mine workers of BHP’s Jimbleba iron ore deposit discovered a burning object on the road approximately 30 km from Newman in Western Australia.
The object continued to burn upon police arrival and early comments indicate the material is largely composed of carbon fibre.
The Australian Transportation Bureau confirmed with police the object is not an aircraft component, leaving space debris as the most plausible explanation.
Experts have suggested the object may be a component from the Chinese Jieling 3 launch vehicle (also known as Smart Dragon), which launched on 24 September 2025. This aligns with data tracking of the location and timing of orbital space debris.
No injuries or loss are publicly known, meaning the 1972 Liability Convention may continue to remain largely dormant as no claims are likely to be pursued against the Chinese state under that framework.
Other notable space debris discoveries in Australia include a SpaceX Dragon component on farmland in rural New South Wales in 2022 and that of Skylab which fell near Esperance, Western Australia in 1979 – the local council of which issued a 400 AUD fine to NASA.
The Australian Space Agency provides guidelines for anyone who encounters space debris in Australia: https://www.space.gov.au/discovery-of-space-debris-in-australia
If you have suffered loss or have enquiries about this matter, please contact IALPG’s Principal, Joe Wheeler for advice or assistance:
phone: +61 410 192 090