International Astronomy Center Releases Image of Chinese Rocket Debris Before Fall

The International Astronomy Center posted an image of debris from a Chinese rocket over the United States before its fall, showing it fragmented into sections due to a piece of the rocket spinning at high speed. The center stated in a tweet: "Some thought this image was of Starlink satellites, which is incorrect. It is indeed debris from the Chinese rocket over America this morning before its fall, appearing fragmented because the piece of the rocket is spinning rapidly, causing variations in the reflection of sunlight toward the Earth, making it look like the Starlink satellites." European and American tracking centers said on Saturday that remnants of the largest Chinese rocket, which was launched last week, are expected to re-enter the atmosphere late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The Chinese Foreign Ministry mentioned on Friday that most of the rocket debris would burn up upon re-entry and that it is highly unlikely to cause any damage, following a statement from the U.S. military that the U.S. Space Command is tracking what it described as an uncontrolled re-entry of the rocket through the atmosphere.