On Saturday, suspected debris from a Chinese rocket was witnessed plummeting to the ground over a village in southwest China, leaving a trail of bright yellow smoke and causing villagers to run for safety. The incident occurred shortly after a Long March 2C carrier rocket was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. The rocket successfully placed the Space Variable Objects Monitor satellite into orbit, a joint project between China and France aimed at studying gamma-ray bursts.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed ambitions for China to become a dominant space power, leading to an increase in space missions to compete with other major world powers. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) declared Saturday's launch as a 'complete success.'
