US says 2 pieces of China rocket plunge into Pacific

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A Chinese Long March 5B rocket and a piece of associated equipment have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean after spending days in orbit.

US Space Command said the rocket itself re-entered the atmosphere at 4:01am MDT (1001 GMT), but referred questions on the exact impact location to China. What it referred to as a "second atmospheric reentry" occurred roughly five minutes later over the Northeast Pacific Ocean.

China has an established practice of allowing its space-faring equipment to crash back in to Earth uncontrolled after spending time in orbit, which has proven to be a major irritant among rival spacefaring nations.

Other nations either control the return of booster rockets for splash landings at sea, or have developed technology to land them at a pre-planned site, as SpaceX has recently done.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson sharply rebuked China for its unplanned debris returns in May 2021, saying China "is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris."

"Spacefaring nations must minimize the risks to people and property on Earth of re-entries of space objects and maximize transparency regarding those operations," he said.

"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," he added.