Large Rocket Debris Found in Minnesota May Be Linked to China’s Zhuque-2E Launch

Under international law, the country that launches an object into space is responsible for any damage it causes on the ground. That rule could become relevant after a large piece of suspected rocket debris was discovered in Minnesota.

Why the Minnesota debris is unusual

The debris is unusual because of its size—larger than most objects that survive atmospheric reentry. It also appears to have come from a rocket that fell from space on the same day it launched.

The object’s dimensions closely match the upper stage of China’s Zhuque-2E rocket, which has a diameter of 11 feet (3.35 meters).

How the Zhuque-2E rocket is connected

The Zhuque-2E rocket launched from China on September 15 and deployed 10 satellites for China’s Qianfan communications network, which corresponds to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.

Since 2024, China has launched 258 Qianfan satellites through a series of missions. The country is on track to complete an initial constellation of 1,296 satellites, with a long-term goal of more than 15,000.

The methane-fueled rocket released the 10 Qianfan satellites into a circular polar orbit at an altitude of about 900 kilometers, approximately 30 minutes after liftoff. The rocket flew south from China, passed over Antarctica, and then headed north over the Americas.

Why the rocket stage may have fallen over Minnesota

After deploying its payload, the Zhuque-2E upper stage performed a burn intended to slow it down and remove it from orbit. Deorbiting spent rocket stages after a mission is generally considered responsible because it helps limit the creation of new space debris.

However, Chinese rockets have previously experienced problems involving unguided reentries and the destruction of rocket hardware in low-Earth orbit. U.S. rockets on low-Earth-orbit missions typically carry enough propellant for guided disposal.

The upper stage from the previous Zhuque-2E flight in June disassembled after its mission, leaving dozens of pieces in a busy region of low Earth orbit. That area is home to the International Space Station and much of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network. Because the rocket’s altitude was relatively low, most of that debris is expected to reenter the atmosphere within a few months.

China has not acknowledged the Minnesota debris

LandSpace, the company that owns the Zhuque family of rockets, has not publicly acknowledged the debris found in Minnesota.

The normal practice for disposing of rocket stages is to guide them to reenter over the ocean. That suggests the September 15 incident may have resulted from a burnout caused by a failed deorbit maneuver.