BREAKING: Chinese missile that launched spy satellites into orbit erupts over Texas amid fears debris could be scattered hundreds of miles
- Part of a Chinese rocket used to send military surveillance satellites into space has crashed back to Earth and disintegrated over Texas
- The second stage portion of the Chang Zheng 2D ‘Long March’ rocket, launched on June 23, came down on Wednesday
- Military specialists search an area of hundreds of square kilometers for debris
Part of a Chinese rocket used to send military surveillance satellites into space has crashed back to Earth and disintegrated over Texas.
The second stage portion of the Chang Zheng 2D ‘Long March’ rocket, which launched on June 23, 2022, came down over the Lone Star State on Wednesday.
Defense officials told USNI the segment broke up as it hurtled back toward Earth at about 27,000 miles per hour.
Military specialists are searching an area of hundreds of square kilometers for debris, but nothing has yet been found.
Satellite tracking data from the North American Aerospace Defense Command indicated that the piece of missile was in low Earth orbit before making the “unplanned descent.”
Tracking data reportedly shows that the missile was launched as part of a mission to send satellites into space intended to collect signal data from the South China Sea.
A photo purports to show the June launch of the Chinese rocket that fell back to Earth on Wednesday and disintegrated over Texas
Tracking data reportedly shows the missile was launched as part of a mission to send satellites into space intended to collect signal data from the South China Sea
The 135-foot rocket was launched on June 23 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in central China. The Chang Zheng 2D can carry cargo weighing up to 8,000 pounds into low Earth orbit.
The incident is the latest instance of a Chinese missile hurtling back to Earth.
A missile launched last May scattered debris across the Indian Ocean. At the time, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson accused China of “failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris,” including minimizing risk during reentry and being transparent about operations.
The remains of the large Chinese missile were captured on stunning video as it disintegrated over Malaysia before landing in the Indian Ocean in July.
Witnesses initially thought a meteor fell to Earth, but US Space Command confirmed the debris was part of a rocket.
NASA said Beijing had not shared the “specific orbital information” needed to know where debris might fall.
It was feared that the debris could land in Mexico, but it eventually landed in the ocean, causing no injuries or damage.
The rocket whizzed back to Earth over Texas and defense officials are now reportedly searching an area hundreds of square miles for debris
A photo claims to show the CZ2D Y64 rocket that launched in June 2022 and fell back to Earth over Texas on Wednesday
The incident comes shortly after a Chinese spy balloon that could float across the United States for days was shot down by fighter jets.
The incident sparked a diplomatic spat with China and Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a high-stakes trip to Beijing intended to ease tensions between the US and China.
Fighter jets shot down several more unidentified objects in the days after the balloon was shot down, including some believed to be balloons launched by American hobbyists.