On Saturday, dramatic videos showed debris from a Chinese rocket falling over a village in southwest China. The incident occurred shortly after the Long March 2C carrier rocket launched at 3 pm local time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. The rocket was carrying the Space Variable Objects Monitor, a satellite project between China and France to study gamma-ray bursts.
China’s President Xi Jinping has prioritized advancing China’s space capabilities to compete with global powers like the United States. The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which developed the Long March 2C rocket, declared the launch a “complete success.”
Local witnesses shared videos on Chinese social media showing a cylindrical piece of debris falling over a rural village, with yellow smoke coming from one end. CNN geolocated the footage to Xianqiao village in Guizhou province, southeast of the launch site. Villagers, including children, were seen fleeing and covering their ears as the debris descended. Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud explosion and smelling a pungent odor.
A government notice, later deleted but reposted by a resident, detailed plans for a “rocket debris recovery mission.” Residents were advised to vacate their homes and move to open areas to observe the sky.
The notice warned against approaching the debris due to potential toxic gases and explosions and prohibited photographing or sharing videos of the debris online. Local authorities reported no injuries from the incident.
Markus Schiller, a rocket expert from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, identified the debris as likely the first-stage booster of the Long March 2C rocket. He explained that the rocket uses a toxic liquid propellant, producing distinctive orange smoke trails and posing significant health risks. Schiller noted that such incidents are common in China due to the inland location of its launch sites.
China has three primary inland launch sites: Xichang in the southwest, Jiuquan in the northwest, and Taiyuan in the north, established during the Cold War for security reasons. In 2016, China opened a fourth launch site on Hainan Island, reflecting its expanding space capabilities.
Western space agencies, like NASA and the European Space Agency, conduct launches from coastal locations, reducing the risk of debris falling over populated areas. They have also moved away from using highly toxic liquid propellants in favor of safer alternatives. China and Russia, however, have not yet made this change.
There have been previous incidents of rocket debris impacting villages in China. In December 2023, rocket debris damaged homes in Hunan Province. In 2002, debris from a satellite launch injured a boy in Shaanxi province.
The international space community has criticized China for its handling of rocket debris, particularly after a Long March 5B rocket re-entered Earth’s atmosphere uncontrollably in 2021, crashing into the Indian Ocean.
Schiller believes such incidents will continue for years, given China’s current launch practices and the geographical positioning of its launch sites. Despite international criticism, China is likely to persist with its current approach to space missions and rocket launches.
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