TE24 International Desk:
Debris from a rocket that launched parts of China’s new space station into orbit crashed into the Philippine Sea on Sunday, the Chinese government said, according to the China Manned Space Agency, at 12:55 p.m. The agency previously said the boosters were allowed to fall without instruction, he reported to the AP. The statement did not provide details on whether the debris hit land or sea, but said the “landing point” was 119 degrees east longitude and 9.1 degrees north latitude.
It is located in 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 had been infected locally. China has been criticized twice for dropping uncontrolled rocket stages to Earth. Last year, after some Chinese rockets landed in the Indian Ocean, NASA accused Beijing of “failing to meet responsible standards for space debris”.
Tiangong-1, China’s first space station, crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2016 after Beijing confirmed it had lost control. In May 2020, an 18-tonne rocket went out of control. China also used missiles to destroy one of its lost meteorological satellites in 2007, after creating a debris field that other governments said could endanger other satellites. Criticized.
On Monday, it was installed in Tianhe’s main module, which houses the three astronauts. The government had previously announced that debris from another cargo spacecraft servicing the station had burned up during re-entry after falling in a certain area of the South Pacific Ocean. Astronauts are alive.
