Samsung satellite crash-lands near rural US house

A satellite launched by Samsung into space last week crash-landed near a US couple's rural home.

The Space Selfie device, which the company said aimed to capture images "using a unique view of planet earth as the backdrop," was found by Nancy Mumby-Welke and her husband on Saturday morning after they heard a loud crash on their property in Gratiot County, Michigan.

As the couple investigated, she told NBC News: "We realised it had fallen from the sky. It looked like a satellite."

Samsung confirmed in a statement that the device "came back down to earth," but described its descent as an "early soft landing in a selected rural area" that was "planned" because of US weather conditions.

"No injuries occurred and the balloon was subsequently retrieved," Samsung said. "We regret any inconvenience this may have caused."

Ms Mumby-Welke said she didn't know what the device was.

She and her husband found two logos on the machine - one that was Samsung's and another for Raven Industries in South Dakota, where the device was reportedly launched from.

She said an internet search later revealed that the device was part of a promotional campaign with actress and model Cara Delevingne.

A few hours after the crash, the woman said, someone from Raven Industries collected the wreckage but offered no details about the device or what had happened.

"They didn't say anything," she said. "He told us he wasn't at liberty to talk about it. Just imagine what could have happened if someone had been out there," she added.

The device reportedly included a high-altitude balloon, which spanned half the length of a basketball court and was supposed to remain in space until 31 October.