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Fragments from destroyed Chinese space rocket surface in Côte d’Ivoire

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Recklessly disposed space junk from a new Chinese rocket has landed in an Ivorian town after it narrowly missed dropping down on New York City on Monday, the US Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron confirmed.

The Long March 5B rocket weighing close to 20 ton had made its maiden flight into orbit last Tuesday where it supposedly burnt up only for some of its fragment to re-enter the atmosphere, surviving long enough to slam into West Africa.

According to the US 18th SPCS, the space cargo crossed over the Atlantic Ocean at about 8:33 pm on Monday.

Local news sources reported that residents heard a loud bang and then discovered the rocket parts but none was injured.

Astronomer, Jonathan McDowell of the Havard-Smithsonian Institute noted on his Twitter handle that the objects that fell on Côte d’Ivoire were “very likely parts of the Chinese rocket stage”.

China’s space launch safety practices has been a source of concern as this incident isn’t the first of its kind.

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The country had reportedly allowed its space debris fall recklessly back to Earth dropping into one of its own villages, spewing toxic fuel and destroying at least one building, Ars reported in November 2019.

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