Chinese rocket that put spy satellites in orbit breaks up over Texas

Part of a Chinese rocket used to send military surveillance satellites into space has plunged back to earth and disintegrated over Texas.

The second stage part of the Chang Zheng 2D ‘Long March’ rocket, which was launched on June 23, came down over the Lone Star State on Wednesday.

Defense officials told USNI the segment disintegrated as it hurtled back to earth at around 17,000 miles per hour.

Military specialists are searching an area covering hundreds of square miles for debris, but nothing has been recovered yet.

North American Aerospace Defense Command satellite tracking data indicated the piece of rocket had been in low Earth orbit before it made the ‘unscheduled descent’.

Tracking data reportedly shows the rocket was launched as part of a mission to send satellites into space that are meant to collect signals 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 8,000lb into low Earth orbit.

The incident is the latest case of a Chinese rocket hurtling back to earth.

A rocket launched last May scattered debris over the Indian Ocean. At the time, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson accused China of ‘failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris,’ including minimizing risks during re-entry and being transparent about operations.

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