this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

better article.

What's the fibre pattern on the dome part I wonder? Looks like some kind of carbon fibre maybe around the top in the video.

I wonder why it was buoyant. Like if it's just the sheared off end of a cylinder you'd think it would just sink?

IDK enough about anything to say "I reckon it's x", but if it's not rocket parts then my guess would be some kind of reusable buoyancy tank used for things like floating foundations into place, shipbreaking yards, that sort of stuff.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

@DogMuffins @Amilo159 Maybe it also has got some insulating foam. This would make it floatable. This really looks like some tank. It looks toasty, so the question is: 1st stage or 2nd stage?

[–] Acetamide 2 points 1 year ago

Many "space" fuel tanks have inflatable bladders inside to control the pressure and location of the fuel, especially in zero-g. Otherwise, the fuel could float away from your tank valve. It is possible that this tank has a fully or partially inflated bladder, making it much more buoyient.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Kevlar fibers are also used commonly in rocket/satellite manufacturing.

[–] AFKBRBChocolate 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If it's an empty or near-empty fuel tank, it's going to float, whether the inside is a vacuum or pressure is equalized with a gas.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

the "object" in the picture is not sealed, or doesn't appear to be.

[–] AFKBRBChocolate 1 points 1 year ago

Hard to say what's inside what we can see, but if nothing else the upper visible part must have been intact and enough air still in it to keep it buoyant.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I wonder why it was buoyant. Like if it’s just the sheared off end of a cylinder you’d think it would just sink?

Something doesn't have to be buoyant to wash up on shore.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I’m the photos one can clearly see a line where part of the object was out of the water, since there’s no barnacles above that line. Also, if one were to read the article linked, one would read

(Italics mine)

"Sometime yesterday, a local lady and her partner discovered it just floating on the edge of the water and dragged it out with their four-wheel drive," he said.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's true, however you can see from the barnacles that this object is in fact buoyant.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I don't know enough about this to argue, so sure. We are all just jumping to conclusions though. It could have been partially submerged somewhere else, gathered the barnacles, and then relocated to this beach after a storm. Who knows...