Kuala Lumpur: Space and atomic energy officials are to inspect a piece of debris reported to have fallen in Sarawak, believed to be part of a Chinese rocket that burned up in the sky on re-entry to Earth.
It is believed to be a fragment of the Long March 5B rocket said to have entered the area around the Sulu Sea at 12.55am yesterday.
Science, technology, and innovation minister Dr Adham Baba said the team comprised the Space Division, the Malaysian Space Agency (Mysa) and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB).
They would cooperate with the Miri district police headquarters in conducting an investigation.
“So far, AELB and the hazardous material (Hazmat) team have gone to the location to inspect the object. The Mysa team and the Space Division will follow up on the confirmation.
“The ministry will report on the finding shortly,” he told reporters here.
The director-general of Mysa, Azlikamil Napiah, said the fragment was a component of the carrier rocket Long March 5B launched in China on July 24.
“When the module was released in space, the residue component would orbit and fall back to Earth, disintegrating into fragments as it entered the atmosphere,” he said.
Adham also advised the people to be calm and not to approach the location of the debris.
Yesterday, a video recording of the suspected rocket debris went viral on social media in Kuching.
Mysa was reported as saying the rocket fragments would burn up before entering Earth’s space.
According to the agency, the fragments crossed the country’s airspace and were detected in several areas, including Sarawak airspace.
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