No plans to shoot down falling Chinese rocket: US

The debris of the misfired Chinese rocket, expected to come back to earth this weekend, would not be shot down by the US military, reports The Guardian. On Thursday, the US defence secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that they are hopeful that the rogue rocket will land in an ocean or a secluded place, not harming anyone.

"We have the capability to do a lot of things, but we don't have a plan to shoot it down as we speak," Austin said. "We're hopeful that it will land in a place where it won't harm anyone. Hopefully in the ocean, or someplace like that." But he added that those who operate in the space domain must have safe and thoughtful operations.

The Chinese rocket, Long March-5B launched from Hainan island in the country on April 29th, was entrusted with a cargo of living quarters for three crew members for a permanent Chinese space station. The mission was the first out of 11 trips for building the station. The Aerospace Corp expects the debris to fall in the Pacific near the equator after passing the eastern US cities.

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry claimed that the upper part of the craft would burn up after its re-entry into the earth's atmosphere, leaving zero chances of threat to livelihood or property. The ministry also ensured that information regarding the descent of debris would be released in a timely manner.

The Chinese tabloid Global Times marked reports that the rocket is "out of control" and could cause damage as "western hype". The tabloid said that there is no need for panic, citing experts.

The White House, on Wednesday, had said that the US is committed to addressing the risk of space debris and want to work with global communities to promote responsible space behaviours.