Telecoms firms have been ordered to ensure emergency alert systems are ready as Chinese rocket debris re-enters Earth’s atmosphere on Friday – as officials outline how likely it is to smash into Britain
Mobile network operators have been instructed to guarantee the UK’s emergency alert system is fully functional, amid fears that wreckage from a Chinese rocket might potentially smash into Britain.
Government officials are presently tracking the rocket debris as it hurtles towards Earth, with a possibility it could strike the UK. In an extraordinary move, British telecommunications companies have been told to verify their emergency alert systems are prepared and ready for deployment, should the wreckage land in Britain and alerts need to be sent to locals near the crash site.
The most likely areas to be hit by the debris are northern England Northern Ireland and northern Scotland as a space boffin warned the space junk will travel over these regions. Officials have stressed that it is ‘extremely unlikely’ that the debris will strike the UK.
A spokesperson attempted to calm anxieties by emphasising how “extremely unlikely” it is that the space wreckage will enter British airspace.
They also provided reassurance that emergency systems are “tested routinely” in partnership with allies, including mobile networks.
Despite these guarantees, it is understood that officials are carefully tracking the Chinese Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) rocket, which blasted off in early December and was forecast to re-enter the atmosphere around midday on Friday. The rocket pieces are anticipated to pass over Europe while Sir Keir Starmer is in China to enhance trade and investment, reports the Mirror.
Prof Hugh Lewis, an expert from Birmingham University’s Space Environment and Radio Engineering research group, indicated that the Chinese rocket stage would most probably travel over Northern Ireland, northern Scotland or northern England.
The Aerospace Corporation’s monitoring system showed a forecast re-entry time for the Chinese rocket of 12.30pm on Friday, with an uncertainty margin of plus or minus 15 hours.
Prof Lewis emphasised the “very large” level of uncertainty surrounding where the wreckage might come down.
He said: “Most space objects burn up on re-entry so we don’t tend to worry too much, but if it’s a bigger object, or made of materials that are highly resistant to heat, like stainless steel or titanium, they can make it through.
“If there was a strong possibility of it landing in the UK, then an emergency alert would make sense but, as far as I can tell, we just don’t have that certainty yet.”
The Prime Minister held talks with Chinese premier Xi Jinping on Thursday, with British officials declaring that relations between the two countries were “no longer in an ice age.”
Poland’s space agency has issued a warning that rocket fragments are expected to “pass over a large part of Europe, including Poland” according to The Telegraph.
The EU’s Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) agency revealed on Wednesday that it was “monitoring the re-entry” of the Chinese rocket, which may potentially be carrying a “dummy payload” in the form of a substantial metal tank.
Approximately 70 pieces of space debris hurtle past the UK each month, while an average of three considerable chunks of space junk crash to Earth daily. The majority of this debris either incinerates over unpopulated regions or crashes into the ocean.
UK emergency preparedness teams maintain constant surveillance of space junk, readying themselves for the remote possibility that it lands on British territory, where it might cause damage or threaten lives.
Telecommunications firms routinely liaise with the government regarding emergency alert infrastructure, though industry sources have disclosed that it’s uncommon for Whitehall to explicitly ask operators to verify the system is working properly.
A UK Government spokesperson declared: “It is extremely unlikely that any debris enters UK airspace. These events happen approximately 70 times a month and the vast majority of debris breaks up upon entry and lands in the oceans.
“As you’d expect, we have well-rehearsed plans for a variety of different risks including those related to space, that are tested routinely with partners.”
The rocket blasted off in early December. The Zhuque-3 Y1 mission launched from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on 3 December 2025.
Built to carry payloads including spacecraft or satellites beyond Earth’s atmosphere, the vehicle operates as an orbital launch system. While the rocket successfully achieved orbit, the reusable booster – based on SpaceX technology – crashed back to Earth and detonated on impact.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.