A metal fragment discovered by a farmer resembles a fuel cap from LandSpace’s Zhuque-2E rocket and might activate a UN convention, as suggested by an expert.
A charred piece of metal found in a cornfield in the United States could have handed China an embarrassing situation and, technically, triggered an “international incident,” according to a British astronomer with over three decades of tracking space objects.rocket launchesThe astronomer has been monitoring space debris for more than 30 years.
The farmer stumbled upon a bowl-shaped object, roughly 3.35 meters (11 feet) in diameter, while harvesting corn in west-central Minnesota on October 14. Online, some locals speculated aliens had landed, while Chinese internet users joked it looked like a massive hotpot.
Still, space analysts believe it most likely originated from a Chinese rocket launched on September 15.
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The dome appears to be the scorched end cap of a fuel tank, and its width matches exactly that ofZhuque-2ERocket developed by Beijing-based LandSpace, which has claimed the mission was successful.
Within minutes of liftoff, people in Kansas and Minnesota shared videos showing bright, fiery debris zipping across the sky.
“This is a disgrace for China,” said Jonathan McDowell, a former Harvard astrophysicist residing near London, on Thursday. “This kind of incident shouldn’t occur.”
Spacecraft manufacturers typically guide descending stages toward uninhabited ocean areas, ensuring that any surviving fragments after atmospheric re-entry land safely in the sea.
The LandSpace rocket deployed 10 satellites for China’sQianfan internet network— comparable to SpaceX’s Starlink — prior to reigniting its engine during its descent back to Earth.
McDowell suggested the engine may have been more powerful than anticipated and burned slightly longer than intended. Rather than settling into a lower orbit to circle Earth for several days before deorbiting, as LandSpace likely intended, the rocket stage plummeted directly down, he explained.
“It appears highly improbable they aimed at the United States,” he noted, while emphasizing that it’s not uncommon for such a large piece to survive the descent.
Extremely large, lightweight components like the extremities of fuel tanks decelerate rapidly in the upper atmosphere, long before they reach temperatures sufficient to disintegrate. In 1997, a 250kg (550lb) steel fuel tank from a U.S. Delta II rocket landed in Texas with minimal damage.
Stevens County Sheriff Jason Dingman stated he couldn’t yet address inquiries regarding the object—such as its exact location—but anticipated further information would be made available shortly.
LandSpace did not reply to a request seeking confirmation about whether the object discovered in the cornfield originated from its rocket or if U.S. officials had reached out to the company.
The Minnesota debris marks the most recent issue for the Zhuque-2E. During its earlier flight in June, the rocket’s upper stage fragmented in orbit, resulting in numerous pieces, according to U.S. media reports.
Restarting rocket engines in space is inherently challenging,” McDowell noted. “But it’s a task that’s been accomplished for years and should be considered resolved. Evidently, there are still issues to resolve.
The debris could potentially trigger an international legal matter between Washington and Beijing, he added. The 1972 UN Space Liability Convention stipulates that the launching country bears full responsibility for any ground damage caused by its space object.
LandSpace required approval from the Chinese government to conduct the launch, and as a result, Beijing assumed responsibility for the rocket, McDowell explained. “It’s always about nations. All communication flows through national channels. Therefore, this becomes automatically an international incident.
McDowell clarified that if the farmer’s property suffered damage, he would need to file a complaint with the U.S. government, which would then forward the claim to Beijing, where the matter could eventually be addressed with LandSpace.
Such cases were rare, so the rules had not been well tested, he said, adding that while any single falling rocket part was unlikely to hurt someone, the odds increased as more came down.
“We really need to stop doing this, because eventually someone will get hurt.”
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This piece was first published on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a premier news outlet covering developments in China and across Asia.
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