Debris from SpaceX Crew-1 is seen on a field in Dalgety, Australia. Reuters

Australian authorities have confirmed that charred space debris found by a rancher inside a sheep paddock belongs to a SpaceX mission.

The authorities, believed to debris have fallen on July 9, was found last week in Dalgety, a remote village in New South Wales southwest of Sydney, about five hours' drive away.

"It was exciting and strange at the same time," said astrophysicist Brad Tucker, who visited the site after being contacted by local farmers.

He pointed out that the discovery of this piece in an empty field reminded him of the science fiction movie "2001: A Space Odyssey."

A spokesman for the Australian Space Agency confirmed in a statement that the source of this piece was one of the missions of the "SpaceX" company owned by billionaire Elon Musk.

Debris from SpaceX Crew-1 is seen on a field in Dalgety. Reuters

Tucker explained that the metal piece was part of a section dropped by the "Crew-1" capsule when it entered the Earth's atmosphere in 2021.

Other space artifacts were found nearby and may be related to the SpaceX spacecraft.

He added that most of the space debris falls into the sea, but with the increase in the activity of the space industry all over the world, the amount of debris that falls on land is expected to increase.

The spokesman warned that "there is a potential risk that the wreckage will hit a populated area."