Scorched rocket debris found in US Minnesota cornfield draws 'embarrassing' remark from astronomer

Summary

A farmer harvesting corn in west-central Minnesota on October 14 found a scorched, bowl-shaped metal object measuring about 3.35 metres (11 feet) across. A British astronomer who has tracked rocket launches for more than 30 years called the debris 'embarrassing' for China and said it may amount to an international incident. Online, some residents joked that aliens had landed, while Chinese internet users said the object looked like a piece of a rocket.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   23 Oct 2026, 15:00 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that a farmer found a scorched, bowl-shaped object about 3.35 metres across in a Minnesota cornfield on October 14, and that a British astronomer called the debris 'embarrassing' for China.