Minnesota space debris may originate from Chinese rocket launched in September

Space experts said a metallic object discovered in a rural Minnesota cornfield earlier this month might be a piece of a Chinese rocket launched in September, UPI reported. The object was originally found on October 14 in a Scott Township cornfield. [1][2][6]

Deputies from the Stevens County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the metallic object measured approximately 11 feet in diameter, according to UPI. Science news outlet Ars Technica determined that the item might be part of a Long March rocket. As FTMQ News reported earlier, federal agencies were investigating the object before it was removed from the field on October 17. [1][6]

Although space debris usually burns up in the atmosphere, larger objects can reach the ground intact. NASA reports that an average of one cataloged piece of space debris has fallen back to Earth each day for the past 50 years, causing no significant property damage. [4][6]