According to the China Manned Space Agency, the rocket pieces sank in a maritime area at 2.65 degrees north latitude and 72.47 degrees east longitude.

The coordinates place the site in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives.

China launched the rocket on April 29th in order to transport the central module of the space station, which it plans to build starting this year and then put it into full operation by 2023. The rocket was launched from a center in the province of Hainan, after a week of final adjustments and tests to ensure compliance with each scheduled step.

However, in recent days, reports circulated in the international press about the Long March-5B Y2 losing control while it was returning to Earth, with some information even pointing to its fall in inhabited regions.

China plans to complete the station by the end of 2022, but it will send at least 10 missions collectively to train in the assembly and construction in orbit of complex and large spacecraft, as well as long-duration manned flights and large-scale experiments.

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