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Strange Balls found on Queensland beaches could be toxic 'space debris': experts
16 days ago
- Spherical objects washed up on Queensland beaches are suspected to be hazardous space debris, prompting warnings from authorities.
- Half a dozen objects were collected along the coastline, leading to a temporary 50-meter exclusion zone at Forrest Beach.
- Residents are advised not to touch the objects and to call emergency services if found, as they may contain toxic hydrazine fuel.
- The debris likely originated from rocket launches, with similarities to titanium alloy hydrazine tanks used in spacecraft.
- Previous space debris incidents in Australia include Skylab fragments, a SpaceX Dragon trunk, and a pressure vessel.
- The Australian Space Agency recommends reporting such findings for technical assessment and international liaison.
Australia space agency has found 'likely source' of mystery space balls
14 days ago
- The Australian Space Agency identified the likely source of mysterious space balls found on Forrest Beach in northern Queensland as pressure vessels from a space launch vehicle.
- A 50-meter exclusion zone was established, and the public was warned not to touch any suspicious objects due to potential hazardous substances, with emergency services called for any encounters.
- Crews in protective suits placed the spheres in hazmat barrels under police guard amid concerns they might contain flammable or reactive materials like residual propellant.
- The objects' location and characteristics align with debris from a foreign rocket body that recently re-entered the atmosphere from orbit, according to the ASA's statement.
- Similar incidents have occurred before, such as a metal dome from an Indian rocket washing up in Western Australia in 2023 and a spherical object found in Namibia in 2011, likely from unmanned rockets.
Australia's Next Target in the War on Kids Online: Your VPN
20 hours ago
- Australia's eSafety regulator is expanding its age verification mandate to target VPN usage, treating privacy tools as compliance problems.
- Age verification is essentially identity verification, which threatens freedom of expression and creates a chilling effect on anonymous speech.
- VPNs are being targeted as workarounds for age checks on adult and social media sites, with eSafety requiring platforms to block such bypasses.
- Age verification providers are acting as delegated law enforcement, even reporting users for using alternative operating systems.
- The push is part of a broader trend that will likely extend to other privacy tools like Tor and encrypted DNS, ultimately eroding online anonymity.

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Strange Balls found on Queensland beaches could be toxic 'space debris': experts

Australia space agency has found 'likely source' of mystery space balls

Australia's Next Target in the War on Kids Online: Your VPN