The out-of-control Chinese rocket that put the UK government on alert has officially crashed into the Earth.
Zhuque-3 was launched on 3 December 2025 and left some officials concerned after the booster from the rocket threatened to land in Britain.
Space travel has become common in recent years, with the likes of Katy Perry even heading up there thanks to Jeff Bezos, and commercial trips for celebrities could soon to be the new norm.
While scientists at NASA and other organisations are extremely qualified, there is always a risk associated with heading above the Earth's atmosphere, as we saw last year when two NASA astronauts finally returned home after nine months of being 'stuck' in space.
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And while the Chinese rocket, dubbed ZQ-3 R/B, was able to reach orbit safely, its reusable booster had a small chance of crashing into the UK and exploding, so much so that the government reportedly prepared an official warning.
The warnings, which come when there's an immediate danger to life nearby, were checked by the UK government last week, as the rocket's path predicted that it could pass over Northern Ireland, northern Scotland or northern England.
A UK government spokesperson told The Telegraph that it was 'extremely unlikely' for that to happen, noting that emergency systems are 'tested routinely' and they are always ready just in case.
“It is extremely unlikely that any debris enters UK airspace,” they said.
“These events happen approximately 70 times a month and the vast majority of debris breaks up upon entry and lands in the oceans.
“As you’d expect, we have well-rehearsed plans for a variety of different risks including those related to space, that are tested routinely with partners.”
And thankfully, that proved to be the case as, according to the US Space Force, the rocket came crashing down at around midday UK time on Friday (30 January).
As per data provided by Space Track, it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean around 1,200 miles (2,000 km) southeast of New Zealand. However, it won't be the last to cause a potential issue, due to the sheer amount of space junk crashing down to Earth.
Dr Mike Peel told The Sun: “There’s an ever-increasing amount of rockets and satellites being launched into orbit these days, both by commercial companies and governments, which will increase the risk of similar situations arising in the future.
“While most re-entering debris burns up in the atmosphere, there have been recent events of debris reaching the ground, for example, debris from a SpaceX launch landing in Saskatchewan in 2024.
“Tracking and managing the space environment is becoming increasingly important, as is understanding the effects that satellite de-orbiting will have on the atmosphere.”
So, while the UK might have narrowly avoided a potential disaster here after the rocket crashed thousands of miles away, there's no telling what space junk might come crashing down in the future.
Meanwhile, Artemis II will see NASA head to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years this month, in what promises to be the furthest humankind has ever travelled into space.
LADbible has contacted the US Space Force for comment.
James Moorhouse