Mystery 'Space Balls' Wash Up in Australia

"Space balls" are falling from the sky—and no, this is not the plot of the upcoming Spaceballs sequel. Australia's space agency says six spherical objects that washed up in north Queensland over the weekend are believed to be pressure vessels from a "foreign rocket body" that recently dropped out of orbit, per the Guardian and BBC. Police and fire crews initially set up exclusion zones around the barnacle-dusted "space balls" on Forrest Beach, north of Townsville, amid concerns they might contain hazardous material; local officials have since deemed them safe, though more debris could still appear.

The agency says it has a strong lead on which launch they came from and is now working with overseas counterparts to formally confirm the rocket and its country of origin. Under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the nation that launched the rocket technically still owns the junk, space archaeologist Alice Gorman tells the Guardian, meaning Australia will need to ask whether that country wants its gear back. Gorman says the titanium-alloy tanks are built to withstand intense heat and can survive re-entry even when nothing has gone wrong. Authorities are urging anyone who spots suspected space debris to stay away and call emergency services.