A suspected piece of space junk that crashed near an iron ore mine in the Australian desert has been linked to a Chinese rocket launch. The debris was found by mine workers on Saturday near Newman, in a remote part of the state's Pilbara region, sparking investigations by police and transport authorities. As investigations continue, Flinders University space archaeologist Alice Gorman has floated her own theory, claiming it came from a Chinese rocket called Jielong. She believes it is one of several rocket tanks discarded from the spacecraft during its orbit to shed weight during its flight. The associate professor added that the risks posed by space debris are increasing because of increasingly congested space traffic. #space #debris #fyp #mystery #australia