A SpaceX rocket booster has washed up in the ocean off Christmas Island, Australia, after splashing down there following a test flight launched from Texas on 24 July. The unexpected sighting has drawn excitement from local residents, some of whom left work early to catch a glimpse and are preparing boats to view the debris up close, highlighting how such space hardware can travel vast distances and resurface far from its launch site.

David Watchorn, chair of the Christmas Island Tourism Association, said he initially mistook the object for passing ships before realising it was a "space rocket" being towed. The booster measures around 52 metres in length. Watchorn described the find as "incredible" and said the more he examined it, the more fascinating it became given what it had evidently been through.