As a farmer in rural Saskatchewan, Barry Suchock is trying to clear rocks and weeds from his fields, but he recently discovered a wide pile a mile away, 40 kilograms of twisted, burnt metal.

Suchock, who was farming near Ituna, Sask, about 250 kilometers southeast of Saskatoon, said, "My oldest son and I were outside wandering around the fields just to check, and we stumbled upon this object. We originally thought it was just garbage."

Suchock added that the multiple layers of charred composite fibers and its belt made him suspect it was space debris.

He said, "But I had no idea. I don't build spacecraft for a living. I'm a farmer."

A group of astronomy professors heard about the case, and after agreeing that it was space debris, decided to try to find out where it came from. Based on the date and location, they connected it to a rocket from the private company SpaceX that returned in February.

Astronomy professor Samantha Lawler from the University of Regina, one of those working with Suchock, noted large pieces of space metal found in Australia and Washington, which had crashed through the surface of a house in Florida.

Lawler said that space launches and re-entries have now become a daily occurrence, and thus, the risk of serious damage or death is growing rapidly.

She continued, "It's just luck really. If it had hit in the middle of Regina or, yes, New York City, it would have been very easy for someone to be killed."

Lawler and others noted that some countries have rules regarding space debris, but they were written long before anyone imagined that private companies would join the space race, saying that rewriting the regulations is urgently needed.

She added, "The cumulative effects of all these satellites and all these returns need to be considered much more carefully. This will be tested in the very near future. It's really unfortunate how this is developing."

No one from SpaceX or the Canadian Space Agency was available for comment. So far, the company has not come to claim the debris from Suchock.

Suchock said once spring planting is done on the farm, he has plans for his newfound treasure. "Here in Ituna, Saskatchewan, we are in the process of building a hockey rink, and I think if I can, I will sell it. Some of the proceeds will go to the skating rink." "This is where I was born and raised, so why not?"