Chinese Long March 2D rocket crashes next to residential in Qinghai, sparks panic and toxic smoke concerns

A Chinese Long March 2D rocket stage crashed in Qinghai province's Guinan County just days after launching the Shiyan-31 satellite on October 13, 2025. The rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China and successfully placed the Shiyan-31 test satellite into orbit. However, the rocket's first stage fell uncontrollably back to Earth, causing panic among residents after it crashed onto grasslands, releasing toxic fumes and igniting small fires. The Long March 2D, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle, is frequently used by China to deploy low-Earth and sun-synchronous orbit satellites. This flight marked the 599th mission of the Long March series, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

World