An “out of control” Chinese rocket has landed in the Indian Ocean, Chinese authorities has Confirmed.
The rocket, called Long March 5B, was launched from Wenchang Space Launch Centre on 29 April to carry Tianhe – the first module of China’s future space station – into orbit.
According to Chinese state media., the out of control rocket re-entered the atmosphere at 3.24am UK time, with the bulk of its components destroyed at that point.
The timing of the landing had been pinpointed quite closely, the possible landing site had been unclear until the last minutes of the rocket’s descent.
At one stage it was thought the debris trail could fall as far north as New York, Madrid, or Beijing, and as far south as Chile and New Zealand and also in Lagos Nigeria.
Uncertainty over the rocket’s condition and the vagueness of China’s location forecasts had many people looking anxiously towards the sky as the expected landing grew closer.
Chinese state media had played down fears that the rocket could cause damage, saying it was “not worth panicking about”, suggesting it would fall somewhere in international waters.
