Out-of-control Chinese rocket smashes into the South Pacific Ocean

"An out-of-control Chinese rocket has crashed into the Southern Pacific Ocean, after Britain readied the emergency alert system over fears of falling debris. Earlier today, the UK government asked mobile network providers to ensure the alert system is operational, in preparation for a potential impact. However, the rocket has now safely landed in the ocean some 1,200 miles (2,000 km) southeast of New Zealand."

"The rocket was launched by private space firm LandSpace from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gansu Province on December 3, 2025. The experimental rocket, dubbed ZQ-3 R/B, successfully reached orbit, but its reusable booster stage, modelled after the SpaceX Falcon 9, exploded during landing. The upper stages and its 'dummy' cargo, in the form of a large metal tank, have been slowly slipping out of orbit."

An uncontrolled Chinese Zhuque-3 rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere and crashed into the Southern Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles (2,000 km) southeast of New Zealand at 12:39 GMT, according to the US Space Force. The UK government readied its emergency mobile alert system and asked network providers to ensure alerts were operational amid concerns about falling debris. The rocket was launched by LandSpace from Jiuquan on December 3, 2025; its reusable booster exploded during landing while upper stages and a large metal tank slowly decayed from orbit. The EU SST noted the 11-tonne object warranted close monitoring, and the shallow re-entry angle made impact predictions difficult; debris-tracking experts say a space-based satellite likely observed the re-entry fireball.

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