A "mysterious object", potentially a part of the satellite launch vehicle, was found on the coast of Western Australia. Although there was no confirmation from India's space agency as it had recently launched the Chandrayaan-3 from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, Twitter users have now started speculating it could be a part of the prestigious lunar exploration mission.
Sharing the photograph of the object, the Australian Space Agency said that it was found near Jurien Bay in Western Australia and added it could be from a foreign space launch vehicle.
"Don't touch it": Space agency warns
Further, it said that the space agency is liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information. Also, in a Twitter post, the space agency urged people not to touch the object or move it as it could be dangerous.
"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 urged.
"We are committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation, and continue to highlight this on the international stage," it added.
Chandrayaan-3 to undergo the crucial phase of its journey towards Moon
The historic Chandrayaan-3 mission launched on Friday will undergo a crucial 40-day phase as the "onboard thrusters would be fired and taken further away from Earth for an eventful landing on Moon's surface," Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre S Unnikrishnan Nair said.
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, Nair said that the launch vehicle has performed extremely well and the initial conditions required for the spacecraft have been provided "very precisely".
On July 14, the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched Chandrayaan-3 on board an LVM3-M4 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. And 17 minutes after lift-off at 2.35 pm, the satellite was precisely injected into the intended orbit.
Also Read: Chandrayaan-3's second orbit-raising manoeuvre successfully performed, says ISRO
