Debris from Chinese rocket lands near the Maldives
A Chinese rocket that went into a free fall wound up in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, China’s space agency said Sunday.
The rocket, a Long March 5B, carried the main module of China’s permanent space station, Tiangong, into the atmosphere April 29 and remained in orbit with the segment until friction caused it to began losing altitude.
Chinese officials appeared to have no idea where the rocket was headed until it crashed into the ocean just before 10:30 a.m. Sunday Beijing time.
It’s unclear if any damage was done to almost 1,200 islands that make up the Maldives.
Most of the rocket burned up upon reentering the atmosphere, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office.
NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson said Sunday that China is “failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.”
“Spacefaring nations must minimize the risks to people and property on Earth of reentries of space objects and maximize transparency regarding those operations,” he said in a statement.
“It is critical that China and all spacefaring nations and commercial entities act responsibly and transparently in space to ensure the safety, stability, security and long-term sustainability of outer space activities.”
With News Wire Services
