Debris from a rocket that propelled part of China’s new space station into orbit has fallen into the sea off the Philippines, according to the Chinese government. Most of the final stage of the Long March-5B rocket burned up after entering the atmosphere, the China Manned Space Agency said on Saturday. The agency said earlier the booster would be allowed to fall without guidance. The statement did not provide details on whether the remaining debris fell on land or at sea, but said the “landing area” was at 119 degrees east longitude and 9.1 degrees north latitude. This is in the waters southeast of the Philippine city of Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan. There was no immediate word from Philippine authorities on whether anyone on the ground was affected. Spectators watch the launch of a rocket carrying China’s second module for the Tiangong space station from the Wenchang spaceport in southern China [File: CNS/AFP] China has faced criticism for allowing rocket stages to fall unchecked to Earth twice before. NASA accused Beijing last year of “failing to meet responsible standards regarding its space debris” after parts of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean. The country’s first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2016 after Beijing confirmed it had lost control. An 18-tonne rocket fell out of control in May 2020. China also faced criticism after it used a missile to destroy one of its weather satellites in 2007, creating a debris field that other governments said could endanger other satellites. The July 24 launch of the Long March-5B, China’s most powerful rocket, put the Wentian laboratory into orbit. It was attached on Monday to the main Tianhe module, where three astronauts live. The remains of a separate cargo spacecraft serving the station fell into a pre-determined area of the South Pacific after most of it burned up during re-entry, the government said earlier. China has poured billions of dollars into spaceflight and exploration as it seeks to build a program that reflects its stature as a rising world power.
