China's Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft re-enters atmosphere

China's Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Thursday, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The spacecraft carried out a controlled re-entry at 7.49 am local time (2349 GMT Wednesday), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

A small amount of debris that survived the ablation fell into designated safe waters during the process.

The Tianzhou-9 was launched last year carrying supplies including astronaut consumables, propellant and experimental equipment.

It separated from the orbiting Tiangong space station on Wednesday before entering an independent flight phase.