China Says Debris From Long March Rocket Landed in Indian Ocean

  • Rocket went up in April to deliver part of China space station
  • Uncontrolled re-entries may become more common: astrophysicist
The launch of the Long March 5B rocket in April 2021.Photographer: AFP/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Remains of a huge Chinese rocket have landed in the Indian Ocean amid global concern the country’s space program lost control of a giant chunk of debris.

Pieces of the Long March 5B rocket re-entered the atmosphere at 10:24 a.m. Sunday local time and plunged into the sea at around 72.47 degrees east longitude and 2.65 degrees north latitude, according to a statement by the China Manned Space Agency posted on its official website.