A large mystery object that washed up on a remote Western Australian beach has been declared safe as experts try to confirm if it is part of a space rocket.

Multiple state and federal agencies have been called in to help determine what the cylindrical piece of equipment is and where it came from.

The Australian Space Agency said the device, which appears to be partly made of a woven material, could be part of a space vehicle. It is contacting other international agencies to try to identify it.

“The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information,” it said in a tweet.

European Space Agency engineer Andrea Boyd told the ABC experts believed the item fell from an Indian rocket launching a satellite and could be 20 years old.

“We’re pretty sure based on the shape and the size, it is an upper-stage engine from an Indian rocket that’s used for a lot of different missions,” she told the ABC.

“[India] has been using them since the 90s and they’ve launched more than 50 missions.

“Based on the amount of barnacles, it’s probably not the one from this year.

“But at the same time, when it gets thrown around the ocean it does tend to look older than it would normally.”

The barnacle-encrusted and rusty object, which is about 2.5 metres high, was found on Sunday near Green Head, about 250 kilometres north of Perth.

It quickly drew a crowd of interested locals, with some posing for photos with the device before authorities arrived.

Late on Monday, WA Police said an analysis of the object by the Department of Fire and Emergency Service and Chemistry Centre of Western Australia had determined the object was safe and “there is no current risk to the community”.

“This includes those who have come into contact with the object prior to it being reported to police.”

Authorities had earlier treated the device as hazardous and urged the public to stay away.

Police said the device would be removed following formal identification of its origin.

“WA Police will maintain security of the object until it is removed and members of the public are requested to stay away from the location.”

Tweet from @AusSpaceAgency

Some users of social media site Reddit speculated the object could be Indian space junk from an LVM3-M4 rocket.

Authorities have ruled out an aviation link after suggestions it may have been part of a plane.