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American space agency NASA on Sunday, 5 May, slammed China for failing to meet “responsible standards” regarding its space debris, hours after remnants of the country’s largest and an out of control rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean near the Maldives.
The debris from China’s Long March 5B rocket re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 10.24 am Beijing time and fell into an open sea area at 72.47 degrees east longitude and 2.65 degrees north latitude, China’s Manned Space Engineering Office said.
Reacting to China’s space programme, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said: “It is clear that China is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.
State media reported parts of the rocket re-entered the atmosphere at 10:24am Beijing time and landed at a location with the coordinates of longitude 72.47 degrees east and latitude 2.65 degrees north.
The US Space command confirmed the re-entry of the rocket over the Arabian Peninsula, but said it was unknown if the debris impacted land or water. The exact location of the impact and the span of debris, both of which are unknown at this time, will not be released by US Space Command, it said in a statement on its website. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Photo credit: Getty Images
The Long March was the second deployment of the 5B variant since its maiden flight in May 2020. Last year, pieces from the first Long March 5B fell on Ivory Coast, damaging several buildings. No injuries were reported.
Remnants of Chinese rocket disintegrates over Indian Ocean Most part of the segment of Long March 5B burns up, crashes near Maldives
The remnants of an out of control and China s biggest rocket re-entered the Earth s atmosphere with most of its parts burned up and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, the country s space agency said on Sunday, ending days of fevered speculation over where the debris would hit.
The remnants of China s Long March 5B rocket re-entered the Earth s atmosphere at 10.24 am Beijing time and fell into an open sea area at 72.47 degrees east longitude and 2.65 degrees north latitude, China s Manned Space Engineering Office said.
Debris from Chinese rocket splashes back to Earth over Indian Ocean The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the Tianhe module, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China s Hainan Province, April 29. Photo: Zhang Liyun/Xinhua via Getty Images
Remnants of the Long March-5B Y2 rocket re-entered Earth s atmosphere over the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, officials in China announced Sunday morning Beijing time.
Details: Most of the rocket s debris burned up during the uncontrolled re-entry, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said in a social media post. NASA administrator Bill Nelson accused China s government in a statement Saturday of failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.
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Nasa has denounced China’s “irresponsible” attitude to space safety after debris from an out-of-control rocket fell to Earth.
The Long March 5B was launched in late April as part of a mission aimed at building China’s planned space station. But the rocket’s booster began an uncontrolled re-entry after going into orbit, sparking fears that debris could hit a populated area.
The China Manned Space Engineering Office said the majority of debris burnt up as it re-entered the atmosphere and was cited by state media as saying that some remnants landed in the Indian Ocean.