Chandrayaan-3 Debris At Australian Beach? Mystery Object Sparks Rumours

The discovery of a mysterious object at a beach in Australia has sparked rumours that the debris belongs to the ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission. The object was found near Jurien Bay in Western Australia. The Australian Space Agency said that it is investigating the object and seeking help from international counterparts to determine the origin of the object. In a tweet, the ASA said, We are currently making enquiries related to this object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia. The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information.”

It further asked people to avoid handling or attempting to move the object as its origin is unknown. “As the origin of the object is unknown, the community should avoid handling or attempting to move the object. If the community spot any further suspected debris they should report it to local authorities and notify the Australian Space Agency via space.monitoring@space.gov.au,” it said.

The ASA said that it’s committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation, and continues to highlight this on the international stage. However, several social media users claimed it to be part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. 

We are currently making enquiries related to this object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia.

The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information.

[More in comments] pic.twitter.com/41cRuhwzZk

— Australian Space Agency (@AusSpaceAgency) July 17, 2023

Last friday, people in Australia reported seeing a comet/UFO in the sky which turned out to be the LVM3 rocket that launched #Chandrayaan3.

And now, the third stage of a PSLV rocket has washed ashore on the coast of Green Head, Western Australia! #ISRO pic.twitter.com/FFVwhooSyE

— Debapratim (@debapratim_) July 17, 2023

Even i might have made a error but found in like few more minutes PSLV dumped here (lamination is rather match the patern of the mysterious object) pic.twitter.com/7qVFKDtAz7

— cedric (@caidalica) July 17, 2023

PSLV third stages are often dumped near Australia for 37° incl. missions. The video mentions it is 2 m high 2 m wide which is consistent with PS3. Also pic.twitter.com/As4OtiKcOJ

— Debapratim (@debapratim_) July 17, 2023

Chandrayaan-3 was successfully launched on GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota as per the scheduled launch time on July 14. The journey from Earth to the moon for the spacecraft is estimated to take about a month, and the landing is expected on August 23. Upon landing, it will operate for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth.

Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after the US, China, and Russia, to land its spacecraft on the surface of the moon and demonstrate the country’s abilities for safe and soft landing on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO's follow-up attempt after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was eventually deemed to have failed its core mission objectives.

Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory after the orbit-raising manoeuvres. Covering a distance of over 300,000 km, it will reach the Moon in the coming weeks. Scientific instruments onboard will study the Moon’s surface and enhance our knowledge. Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with a lander, a rover, and a propulsion module. It weighs around 3,900 kilograms.