Palace: Rocket debris no cause for concern

NEW DELHI, India — Malacañang is reassuring the public that there is no cause for concern after a Chinese Long March 12 rocket launched on Monday, with debris reportedly falling near Palawan.

On Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has confirmed the incident.

“We also spoke with deputy director general Gay Jane Perez of the Philippine Space Agency and from her analysis and her perspective, the drop zone was quite close,” Castro said. “The technical aspects of this will still be studied to see what effect it has had on the Philippines. But as of the moment, there is nothing to worry about.”

Castro added that authorities are still investigating the incident to determine if any regulations were violated, but that none appear to have been broken.

PhilSA confirmed that the government was notified of the 4 August launch and issued warnings to relevant agencies.

The debris fell into designated drop zones located about 21 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa and 18 nautical miles from Tubbataha Reef Natural Park.

It added that unburned debris, such as the rocket’s booster and fairing, are designed to be discarded as the rocket enters outer space. The agency cited that while the debris is not expected to fall on land or inhabited areas, it could pose a risk to ships, aircraft and fishing boats passing through the drop zone. There is also a possibility that the debris could float and wash ashore.

The agency reminded the public not to touch any debris they may find and to immediately notify their local government units.

Meantime, Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro reminded countries engaged in space exploration to “conduct their space activities in a manner consistent with norms of responsible behavior and with due regard to the rights of interest of other states.”

Lazaro said the Philippines and China have an agreement to communicate on any space-related activities.

“In accordance with the commitment made between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and President Xi Jinping in 2023, the Philippines continues to work with China on the appropriate communication mechanisms on rapid launches and resulting procedures on the management of post-launch impacts,” she said.