A mysterious metallic object discovered in a Minnesota cornfield is believed to be space debris, prompting a federal investigation into its origin.
A local resident found a strange metal object with jagged edges and what appeared to be a burnt underbelly in Scott Township, Minnesota, earlier this week. Around 3:30 p.m. on October 14, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office received a call about what it described as “foreign debris.”
“Upon responding, deputies confirmed that a large, metallic object, approximately 11-feet in diameter, presumably a space object, was present in the cornfield,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.
“The MN Duty Officer was notified of this and federal agencies responded. The Sheriff’s Office is working closely with several state and federal agencies to identify and notify the owner of the debris and to plan for removal from the field.”
The Sheriff’s Office also stated that agency officials told them that the public was not in any danger from the mysterious object.
Online speculation led to several theories
Online speculation suggests that the debris may be related to a tornado that reportedly passed over Minnesota a few weeks ago. Its sharp edges have raised questions about whether the object was part of a larger object on the ground.
Someone joked on Facebook, “Someone had a little too much tannerite!”
One theory is that the item might be part of a rocket or satellite. The object’s discovery coincided with news of a SpaceX rocket launch from Florida.
“All this junk from rocket launches has to land somewhere,” another person commented.
Space debris is becoming a serious problem
That person isn’t wrong. In October of last year, it was revealed that the thousands of satellites SpaceX and other companies were putting into orbit were creating a significant problem.
The report said that one to two of SpaceX’s 8,000 Starlink satellites fall back to Earth every day. That number could soon reach as many as five times per day when you add satellites launched by Amazon’s Project Kuiper and other companies.
In the near future, up to 50,000 satellites could orbit Earth, including those China has been launching. In 2020, SpaceX announced intentions to launch 42,000 satellites. The European Space Agency projects that at least 100,000 low-orbit satellites will be circling the planet by 2030.
Also, research conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the metal and rare metal particles that end up in the stratosphere when these satellites de-orbit may end up starting chemical reactions that could destroy the ozone layer.
In 2019, the European Space Agency stated that more than 750,000 pieces of space debris were in Earth’s orbit. Since then, that figure has increased significantly.
“We could have a major space junk event that will mean that we can’t launch beyond low-Earth orbit and we trap ourselves on Earth,” Ralph Dinsley, founder and executive director of Northern Space and Security LTD said.