Man finds rock by river (it's a piece of space station Mir)

[blixel]

"Phil Green was wandering along the Merrimack River in Massachusetts when he discovered a piece of rock that didn't seem like it was from around his parts." ... "NASA has determined it is a piece of the Russian space station Mir."

Article

 

[boogabooga]

I'm very skeptical. It's a long way from the South Pacific.

Space junk, I'll buy. Mir specifically, not so much.

What is so special that they know that it has to be Mir?

 

[RisingFury]

Space junk, I'll buy. Mir specifically, not so much.

Mir is space junk :lol:

 

[Andy44]

It's possible that this was detached from Mir before the de-orbit and then naturally dacayed into Mass. Mir was involved in a collision, it may have shed debris from that.

 

[Matias Saibene]

What has happened to all the ships Arrow, XR2, DG IV and asteroids that I have burned in the atmosphere of Orbiter?
Thanks for the interesting news.

 

[boogabooga]

It's possible that this was detached from Mir before the de-orbit and then naturally dacayed into Mass. Mir was involved in a collision, it may have shed debris from that.

O.K.

But how do they know? The article pretty much says a friend of a relative that happens to work at NASA says so. That's just hearsay. Is this even NASA's official position?

What evidence do they have?

Metallurgy?
A serial number?
A positive ID on a specific part?