Inigo Del Castillo

Things you find in the Australian outback: man-eating crocodiles, snakes, lots of spiders, and a Delta 2 rocket casing.

A Delta 2 rocket launched way back in 1990 and came back down to earth a few months later. One of its casings, however, took a little longer to find its way home – 18 years to be precise.

The rocket was used to launch the Indian INSAT – 1D geosynchronous spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Delta rocket motor was part of the third stage rocket launch. It was discovered in 2008, on a three million acre cattle station. Station owner Arthur Taylor was out flying a Cessna aircraft to muster cattle when he spotted the odd sphere.

Bet you knew the outback was big, but never realised it was big enough to hide space junk in someone’s backyard for 18 years!