Space is big and the vast majority of it is empty. Even the area immediately around the Earth where humans place satellites and other objects is still wide open and clear for the most part, but that is changing as thousands of new objects are placed in space each year.

As the old adage goes, what goes up, must come down. While that is not strictly true when it comes to the vastness of space, it is accurate for most types of ‘space junk’ that are orbiting around our planet, and it was on full display in Kenya on December 30, 2024.

Most satellites and other objects that are sent to space are designed so that if, or when, they do come back to Earth, they will burn up in the atmosphere. Sometimes, however, things do not go as planned.

On that day in late 2024, a 2.5 meter (8 foot) metallic ring crashed down near Mukuku, which is a village in Kenya. This village is located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Nairobi, the country’s capital.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt and no property was damaged.

The Kenya Space Agency put out a statement about the incident, saying:

“Preliminary assessments indicate that the fallen object is a separation ring from a launch vehicle (rocket). Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or to fall over unoccupied areas, such as the oceans. This is an isolated case, which the Agency will investigate and address using the established framework under the International Space law.”

While International Space Law does provide some structure to how space is used and what is supposed to happen to all the ‘space junk,’ it does leave a lot to be desired.

For example, the current laws say that if a piece of space junk does damage someone’s property, the launching state will be liable to pay compensation for the damage.

Well, as SpaceX (and other) private companies are starting to take the lead on the future of space exploration, that will clearly need to be updated. If one of SpaceX’s StarLink satellites destroys someone’s house, for example, would the company SpaceX be liable? Or the United States where it is based?

Clearly the laws need to be updated, but that can be difficult in an industry that is evolving so quickly.

However it plays out, we can all be glad that this large object that landed in Kenya didn’t cause any harm.

Check out this video, which shows the metallic ring:

Imagine that falling out of the sky!

If you think that’s impressive, check out this story about a “goldmine” of lithium that was found in the U.S. that could completely change the EV battery game.