New report warns that China could overtake the US as top nation in space — and it could happen 'in 5-10 years,' expert claims Marco Langbroek , an aerospace engineering analyst at the Delft Technical University in the Netherlands who tracks the trajectories of orbiting spacecraft , was the first to identify the likely origin of the debris as the upper stage of one of China 's Jielong 3 rockets, which deorbited shortly before the discovery, according to Live Science's sister site Space.com . This theory was later backed up by other experts , including Jonathan McDowell , an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who has been tracking space debris reentries for more than 35 years. It is currently unclear when this rocket was initially launched into space. The Australian Space Agency were initially unsure about the origin of the space debris. But experts subsequently revealed it was part of the upper stage of a Jielong 3 rocket. (Image credit: Western Australia Police Force) Experts are unsure exactly which part of the 102-foot-tall (31 m) rocket was found near Newman, due to its extensive damage and uncertainty around the spacecraft's design, which results from the high secrecy surrounding China's entire space program, including their rocket designs , space plane , moon missions and satellite constellations . However, it appears to be largely composed of carbon fiber, according to Space.com. The most likely scenarios, therefore, are that it is either a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV), which contains high-pressure gases and liquids inside rockets, or the mangled remains of the entire upper stage. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Based on its size and landing spot, Langbroek also estimates that the surviving chunk of the rocket weighs a hefty 660 pounds (300 kilograms). This could be further proof that the rocket is powered by an experimental solid-fuel source, as solid fuel is heavier than traditional liquid rocket fuel, he added. But one of the biggest surprises about this incident is that the wreckage was still partially burning when it was found, which is highly unusual. This is likely the sign of a "very recent impact," Langbroek wrote in a blog post . China has launched eight of its Jielong 3 rockets so far. This photo shows the fifth launch in January 2025. (Image credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) What goes up must come down Every object that ends up in low Earth orbit, whether it be a satellite, rocket stage or larger spacecraft like the International Space Station (ISS), is doomed to eventually fall back to Earth once its operational lifespans comes to an end, according to NASA . You may like Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/charred-piece-of-secretive-chinese-rocket-found-still-smoldering-in-the-australian-outback