China s biggest rocket Long March 5B lands in Indian Ocean Reuters
Remnants of China s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit.
Parts of the Long March 5B re-entered the atmosphere at 10:24 a.m. Beijing time (0224 GMT) and landed at a location with the coordinates of longitude 72.47 degrees east and latitude 2.65 degrees north, Chinese state media cited the China Manned Space Engineering Office as saying.
The coordinates put the point of impact in the ocean, west of the Maldives archipelago.
The debris from an out-of-control Chinese rocket has broken through Earth’s atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. The Chinese National Space Agency confirmed the Long March 5B rocket re-entered over the Indian Ocean at 02.24 UTC (2.24pm New Zealand time) on Sunday, southwest of Sri Lanka. The Aerospace Corporation also posted on Twitter saying the rocket was down, after earlier forecasts suggested the rocket would land in the ocean near the North Island
Guo Wenbin/AP
The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying a module of China’s space station, on the launching pad last month. A 30-metre core section of the rocket is expected to make an uncontrolled re-entry on Sunday.
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Highlights
The U.S. 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 coordinates given by state media, citing the China Manned Space Engineering Office, put the point of impact in the ocean, west of the Maldives archipelago.
Beijing: Remnants of China`s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday (May 9, 2021), with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth`s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit.
The coordinates given by state media, citing the China Manned Space Engineering Office, put the point of impact in the ocean, west of the Maldives archipelago.
STR/AFP via Getty Images
China s Long March 5B rocket crashed back to Earth on Sunday morning, landing in the Indian Ocean just west of the Maldives, the China Manned Space Emergency Office announced. Most of the debris from the rocket, which was launched in April, reportedly burned up when it re-entered the Earth s atmosphere.
The risk of the rocket causing significant damage was considered low, but experts were concerned because the 40,000-pound Long March was out of control and traveling at a high speed, making it very difficult to predict where it would land.
While it appears the worst was avoided (it s unclear if any debris landed on the Maldives, CNN notes), NASA Administrator Bill Nelson still expressed displeasure with Beijing. Spacefaring nations must minimize the risks to people and property on Earth of re-entries of space objects and maximize transparency regarding those operations, he said. China is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.
China rocket debris lands in ocean, draws NASA criticism
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By Ryan Woo
12.38pm
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Beijing: Remnants of China’s biggest rocket have landed in the Indian Ocean, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit.
The co-ordinates given by state media on Sunday, citing the China Manned Space Engineering Office, put the point of impact in the ocean, west of the Maldives archipelago.