Rocket debris stored in Lauderdale Lakes pending investigation

NTSB calls European Space Agency to determine who should investigate

LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. – Rocket debris that washed up on the beach in Fort Lauderdale Sunday morning is being stored at Waterway Towing in Lauderdale Lakes pending an investigation.

The Federal Aviation Administration has a hold on the piece from the European Union's satellite Galileo and an FAA team is expected to inspect the item at some point.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the debris is not from a crash, so it doesn't fall in their purview. NTSB officials said they have called the European Space Agency in an attempt to determine who should be investigating the matter.

Fort Lauderdale police said the debris was discovered by beachgoers about midnight Sunday. They said the debris was part of a rocket that launched several satellites into space, which are part of a global navigation system.

The rocket is believed to have been launched from French Guiana, in northeastern South America. It is believed that the piece of debris had been floating for a year before washing ashore in Fort Lauderdale.

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