--- title: "Giant Pieces of Chinese Space Junk Reportedly Found by Fishermen" description: "Pieces of a recently-launched Chinese Long March 5B rocket were reportedly discovered by Filipino fishermen in the island nation's Mindoro Strait." date: "2022-08-04" modified: "2022-08-04" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-space-junk-fishermen" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "chinese space junk" - "long march 5b" - "space debris" - "the digest" --- # Giant Pieces of Chinese Space Junk Reportedly Found by Fishermen ![Pieces of a recently-launched Chinese Long March 5B rocket were reportedly discovered by Filipino fishermen in the island nation's Mindoro Strait.]() *\Image: Philippine Coast Guard\* ## Safety Hazard According [to a report by the Filipino government](), pieces of a recently-launched Chinese Long March 5B rocket were discovered by fishermen in the island nation's Mindoro Strait — which could add to growing public safety concerns over recent Chinese space activity. To recap: China's Long March 5B rockets, used in its efforts to [build a new space station](), have proven to be [incredibly dangerous](). The last three Long March 5B launches have resulted in rocket debris [uncontrollably careening through the atmosphere](), drawing the ire of [the international space community](). The [most recent launch]() took place on July 24, and experts [confirmed just a few days later]() that parts of the rocket's core were indeed hurtling back to Earth. ## Fishing for Rockets On the evening of July 31— the same night that pieces of the spacecraft were [seen putting on a light show over Malaysia]() — the Philippine Space Agency (PhiSA) [issued a falling debris advisory warning]() to citizens as the debris was making its way over the island nation's Sulu Sea. Details surrounding the recovery efforts are a little hazy. According to Philippine newspaper [*The Inquirer*](), the rocket fished out of the ocean in the Mindoro Strait was actually found back on July 26, as per the Philippine Coast Guard, which could imply that parts of the rocket were sent crashing back to Earth shortly after launch as well. https://twitter.com/marufins/status/1554112442556612609 ## Under the Flight Path This is all pretty troubling, particularly as China has yet to show intent to stop using rockets that can't alter their own trajectory during their return. "This means we've been hit twice by debris from this launch: at the beginning, and at the end of the rocket's flight," Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for the Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea, told the *Inquirer*. "This shows that the risk is higher for us, because we are under the flight path of most Chinese rocket launches," he added. As of now, there's [not much in the way of binding international regulation]() regarding space debris, despite the risks to public health — a reality that's particularly unfair to nations like the Philippines, which has yet to launch any rockets into space from its soil. **More on the Long March 5B:** [*Wild Video Shows Chinese Space Junk Light up the Night Sky*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()