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Mine workers in Western Australia discovered a mysterious smoking slab near a remote road east of Newman on Oct. 18. Police and the Australian Space Agency documented the find, with the agency planning further technical analysis. Early signs point to carbon fiber and possibly rocket hardware. Space analyst Marco Langbroek said the debris resembles a composite overwrapped pressure vessel; its reported burning on discovery is unusual and implies a very recent fall. He identified a likely source: the upper stage of a Chinese Jielong 3 rocket whose orbit passed near Newman that day.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.