1,000 Pound Hunk Of Space Junk Crashes Into Kenyan Village

A large piece of space debris weighing more than 1,100 pounds crashed into a village in Kenya.

The Kenya Space Agency said a "metallic ring" approximately 8 feet in diameter "fell from the skies" and landed in Mukuku Village, in Makueni County, at around 3 p.m. on Monday.

Space agency personnel responded to the village Tuesday morning to examine the object, which preliminary assessments indicate is "a separation ring from a launch vehicle (rocket)."

"Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere or to fall over unoccupied areas, such as the oceans," the space agency said. "This is an isolated case, which the agency will investigate and address using the established framework under the International Space law."

The agency said it would work to identify the owner of the object.

It said there was no immediate threat to safety.

"The agency wishes to thank local residents of Mukuku Village for their prompt action in reporting the incident to the authorities and for their cooperation in ensuring public safety," the agency said.

"We express our gratitude to the local leadership, the multi-agency team, the Makueni County government, and media houses for disseminating this critical information in a timely manner."

-With TMX