Latvia says Chinese rocket debris unlikely to fall on its territory

The second stage of a Chinese rocket launched into space in early December is not expected to fall on Latvian territory, according to the latest assessments, Latvia’s air navigation service said Friday.

Arnis Lapiņš, spokesperson for Latvia’s state air traffic control and air navigation services provider Latvijas gaisa satiksme (LGS), said such objects are continuously tracked and monitored. The latest information from the European air traffic management agency Eurocontrol indicates that, based on three recent assessments, the projected trajectory of the rocket debris does not reach Latvian territory.

Eurocontrol said Friday that European Union space surveillance and tracking operations centres have confirmed they are actively monitoring the Zhuque-3 rocket, launched by the Chinese private company LandSpace, and that air traffic controllers have been provided with recommendations on possible route adjustments.

Experts warn that the 13-meter-long object, weighing about 11 tons, is unlikely to burn up in the atmosphere due to its size and could pose a potential threat to southern regions of Denmark and the Baltic states, though it may also fall into the sea.

Because of the object’s large dimensions and mass, specialists have cautioned about a potential danger, including risks to air traffic within the possible impact zone.

As previously reported, Saulius Batavičius, CEO of Lithuania’s air navigation service provider Oro Navigacija, said the rocket’s second stage was expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on Friday and was initially forecast to fall in Latvia, though Lithuania said it was prepared to respond if projections changed.

Authorities across the region continue to monitor the situation closely as updated tracking data becomes available.