Space debris lands in Kenya's Mukuku Village without casualties

An unexpected visitor from space arrived in Mukuku Village, Kenya. According to the Kenya Space Agency, the object, weighing about 500 kilograms and measuring 2.5 meters in diameter, did not cause any fatalities in the village.

Authorities stated that the object "is likely debris from a rocket's separation stage." They added that the wreckage would be examined to determine which country or organization the object belonged to.

Major Alois Were of the Kenya Space Agency commented, "Once the owner of the object is identified, legal mechanisms under international law will be used to hold the responsible parties accountable."

INCREASING THREAT OF SPACE DEBRIS

Most space debris burns up upon re-entry into the atmosphere or falls into uninhabited areas like the ocean. However, this is not always the case.

For example, in May 2024, a piece of debris from SpaceX fell near a hiking trail at a mountain facility in North Carolina. Experts warn that such incidents pose serious risks.

Jonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics emphasized, "If that debris had fallen on someone, it would have been fatal."

So far, no fatalities have occurred from space debris, but in March 2023, a two-kilogram piece of debris from the International Space Station punctured the roof of a family's home in Florida.

INCREASING SPACE ACTIVITY ESCALATES RISKS

Since the 1950s, the number of rockets and satellites sent into space has rapidly increased. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the average number of launches per year between 2008 and 2017 was 82, rising to 130 between 2018 and 2022. In 2024, a new record was set with 250 launches.

Millions of small pieces of debris in space are moving at bullet speeds in Earth's orbit, creating significant dangers both on the ground and in space.

At the American Geophysical Union meeting in December, physicist Thomas Berger warned that such debris could lead to "an unstoppable chain reaction of collisions, rendering space completely unusable."

This incident once again highlights the increasing pollution of space and the urgent need for better regulation of space activities.