BEIJING, Feb. 21 — China's foreign ministry denied on Monday that a spent rocket booster expected to land on the moon's far side next month is debris from a Chinese lunar mission in 2014.
An independent researcher initially identified the rocket booster, which is due to fall on the moon on March 4, as a used Falcon rocket stage from Elon Musk's SpaceX.
However, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States announced earlier this month that their study revealed the object was most likely the booster rocket from China's Chang'e 5-T1 mission, which launched in 2014.
In October 2014, China sent an unmanned Chang'e 5-T1 spacecraft to the moon aboard a three-stage Long March 3C rocket.
The goal of the mission was to see if the spacecraft's capsule could re-enter Earth's atmosphere. That following month, the capsule landed on Earth.
When reporters inquired if the object was from the Chinese mission, Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, stated, "According to China's tracking, the Chang'e 5 (rocket) has safely entered Earth's atmosphere and has totally burnt."
The nearly ten-year journey of the alleged rocket booster has reignited debate over space trash and who is legally accountable for tracking debris that floats outside of the Earth's atmosphere.
"For the development of space affairs, China would adhere to international law," Wang added. "China will safeguard the long-term development of outer space operations and hold broader talks with relevant parties."
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