Six spherical objects recovered from a beach in north Queensland are believed to be debris from a foreign rocket that re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, Australian authorities said. The items were discovered washed ashore in the Forrest Beach area, near Townsville, prompting concern over their contents.

Officials from the Australian Space Agency identified the objects as likely “space balls”—pressurized fuel tanks commonly found on rockets—which often fall to the ground after a launch. Due to the potential presence of hazardous chemicals, local police and fire services established 50-meter exclusion zones around the sites where the spheres were found to ensure public safety.

The exact origin of the rocket remains unclear, though the space agency characterized the debris as coming from a “foreign rocket body.” These types of space launch components occasionally survive re-entry and land in remote or coastal areas.

Authorities advised residents in the vicinity not to approach the objects, emphasizing the importance of reporting any similar discoveries to emergency services. Investigations are ongoing to determine more precisely where the rocket debris originated and to assess any environmental risks posed by the recovered materials.