Strange Metal Ball Found In River

Hey ATS,
Ok so this is my second thread and i hope what i have for you here will get you all pondering and hopefully together we will work out what this is.
so i was just browsing different sites and clicking different links and i came across this.

metal ball

The guy does a pretty good job of describing it but he also includes numerous photos of this ball and x-rays of the insides, and its when you see the insides that made me start to wonder as to what it is.

So ATS what are your thoughts and ideas on the origin and/or use of this object.

[edit on 30/12/2009 by EyeOnYou]

I would guess it is part of a high pressure air or hydraulic system on an aircraft. I have seen similar but not exact tanks when I was involved in inspection of aircraft parts many years ago.

I think it's a Sputnik. Possibly one of the copies that were made by US unis that failed to reach or stay in orbit. The internal structure looks very similar.

One of the comments on the website has a photo link in it....





I'd say from the look at the pic the ball objects on it match very well.. could well come from a Soviet spacecraft..

The last comment on the webpage seems to have the explanation of what it is.

FROM THE WEBPAGE - Not my own opinion:

"SC Wrote:
Hello, Roger.
I just came across your metal orb on the internet. I know what it is.

First, take note of the fact that a second interior sphere exists within, and that it is space roughly 1/2 inch from the outer walls. That is clue #1.

Second, the welded metal cap on the outside is clue #2.
The circular structures between the inner and outer tanks is clue #3.

The inner sphere was spaced from the outer sphere for insulation. The welded cap is where a hard vacuum was pulled with a vacuum pump and the cap welded on to prevent leakage. This forms a cryogenic storage device known as a Dewer flask. The sphere is a cryogenic storage tank that uses a vacuum insulated jacket to prevent the warming of the material stored inside. The circular structures are spacers that keep the inner tank from hitting the outer tank.

Now, the clamp with the Phillips screw is a grounding point where this crygenic tank would have been fastened to a larger assembly. If you examine the underside of the clamp, you may be able to identify some small quantity of copper there, where the grounding cable would have been pulled free.

The handle is the mounting point for the tank, and is also referred to as a hard point.

The X-ray images show serpentine plumbing that winds about and comes back near the interior surface- this is a clue that the tank was meant to function in microgravity. Gas bubbles would tend to cluster in the center and fluids would stick to the interior. The fittings with the wire or metal rod sticking out are pretty typical air fittings meant to connect to pressure lines. One set would provide pressure into the core of the tank (see the metal cylindrical structure in the X-rays) and the others would allow material to be drawn out of the tank. Usually, the lines themselves would be stainless steel braid exterior lines; often they would also be vacuum insulated.

It is very likely that this is titanium. This is clearly the cryogenic storage tank for a spacecraft. It would have held either liquid helium for cooling a sensor or it would have contained liquid nitrogen for the same purpose, as well as use as a pressurized gas propellant. Many satellites will use LN2 as the material for small thrusters, as it boils into a vapor and provides reaction for movement or orientation control.

I seriously doubt if this was a fuel tank, bcause the amount of fuel or oxidizer is might have carried is small. However, it clearly has undergone reentry. It might have done so inside the body of a larger craft, which would prevent a great deal of heat damage. Being buffeted by the outer shell or debris, as well as the high pressure shock waves on reentry, is what collapsed the surface and dented it in.

So what you have is a cryogenic storage tank from a spacecraft that reentered the atmosphere- once again, most likely used for liquid nitrogen or helium.

I am a fairly regular guest with Art Bell myself and recognized the structure of the tank immediately. I have worked for years in aerospace and debris from space vehicles often contains odd or unusual shaped objects. This is due to the conditions under which they must function, and the limits on space and mass that any spacecraft designer has to work with."

so its just basically space junk? fallen off something and landed in the river?

Still an interesting piece of space 'junk' if thats what it is, I'm sure a collector would pay to own it, after all its still got some history.

reply to post by qwiksilva


I wonder, would there be any risk of radiation? Or was this thing not up there that long?

reply to post by Sorcha Faal


I says in the OP's link in the description area "It's not radioactive" so I would think it's been tested...

Any chance (being Texas) that this was part of the Shuttle re-entry mishap?

reply to post by Sorcha Faal


the dude says on the site that it isnt radioactive so im guessing hes had it checked.

reply to post by DataWraith


yeah, i think id be pretty chuffed if id have found something like that.

That why I love ATS.

You found something in the river.
Don't know what it is ?
post it on ATS.
you got the answer.

Internet is great.

What's the price of titanium ?

Originally posted by YeHUaH ELaHaYNU
Any chance (being Texas) that this was part of the Shuttle re-entry mishap?

No, the article states object found in July 02....Columbia accident occurred 2/1/03.

reply to post by mixmix


thats the beauty of combined knowledge, someones bound to know.

reply to post by EyeOnYou


So i have been digging since I found your thread, and though the author of the original pics and site seems to have settled on the theory that it is a Nitrogen cooling, fuel intermix component ofa russian rocket, wich it most certainly does resemble. I would like to broaden our field and offer this photo of a Hydrojet take a look.....



Okay tested my own link and it didnt work so here is the site itself sorry folks

www.innovativehydrojet.com/hydrojet-gallery



[edit on 28/01/10 by TacticalVeritas]

reply to post by TacticalVeritas


Holy crap I found that even the site itself is a File404 well the pics still exist in the Google photo file database so type in hydrojet Sphere and take a look at the photo all the externals are present in this pic but it would seem to mirror the components on your post too bad these links seem to keep dying.

Looks like a fuel tank of some satellite or other space craft. It looks like a vacuum created those impressions. It could have held a toxic substance like hydrazine.

reply to post by EyeOnYou


I believe this object may have came from Columbia Space Shuttle. Please let Nasa know.