China reported that debris from its rocket has already fallen into the Indian Ocean

The Chinese rocket Long March 5B of about 10 floors high and more than 20 tons fell on the Indian Ocean near the Maldive Islands

Photo: STR / AFP / Getty Images

The hull of the Chinese rocket that had the world in suspense as it approached to re-enter the atmosphere without control, which did not allow it to be possible to determine exactly where it would fall, finally re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere around 10: 30 pm ET over the Indian Ocean near the Maldives reported the China Bureau of Manned Space Engineering on Saturday night.

Looks like CNSA is confirming the # LongMarch5B rocket stage reentered over the Indian Ocean at 02: 20 UTC, southwest of Sri Lanka https://t.co/TuEeFMarKy pic.twitter.com / 55 naFWKT2E

– Jason Major (@JPMajor) May 9, 2021

The Long March 5B carrier rocket had an estimated landing area of ​​72. 47 E longitude and 2. 65 ° N latitude, just west of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, the China National Space Agency said in a post on WeChat .

Most of the rocket was “destroyed ”Upon re-entering the atmosphere, said the space agency.

The rocket, which measures about 108 feet tall and weighs nearly 40, 000 pounds, put into orbit a piece of a new Chinese space station on 29 of April.

After its fuel ran out, the rocket was allowed to fly through space uncontrollably until the Earth’s gravity dragged it back to the ground.

Videos on social media showed the rocket of 20 tons, which had been drifting uncontrollably in low orbit for days, opening a trail of light over Oman while most of its components burned in the atmosphere.

Chinese Rocket while crossing the skies of # Oman # ChineseRocket # LongMarch5B pic.twitter .com / g8OAMlq8lE

– 𝓛𝓤𝓕𝓕𝓨 (@ 0_F_0) May 9, 2021

There were no immediate reports of damage from falling debris.

The US Space Command’s Space Tracking Project reported in a tweet that the remains of the huge Chinese rocket had already fallen into the ocean, near the Maldiva’s Islands: “All others who follow n the re-entry of # LongMarch5B they can relax. The rocket has fallen. ”

Everyone else following the # LongMarch5B re-entry can relax. The rocket is down. You can see all relevant information and updates here on Twitter / Facebook, so there is no need to keep visiting the space-track dot org website.

– Space-Track (@SpaceTrackOrg) May 9, 2021

With around 100 feet tall and weigh 22 metric tons, the Chinese rocket is one of the largest objects to ever re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on an uncontrolled trajectory.

The reentry of the rocket raised international concern about where it might land.

The threat to populated areas of land was not insignificant, but fortunately the vast majority of the land area is oceans, so the chances of a catastrophe were slim .

Scientists said the risk to humans was astronomically low, but It was not impossible for fragments to fall in a populated area.

The rocket launched a part of the new Chinese space station into orbit on 29 April, but then China he let it rush through space uncontrollably, until Earth’s gravity began to pull the rocket toward the ground.

With information from The Washington Post