Overview

• A long, bright column was seen around 22:30–22:45 CET on August 25 across parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and Austria.
• The European Satellite Operations Centre said the feature was very likely propellant from a Chinese Long March upper stage, and CENAP’s Hansjürgen Köhler identified it as a Long March 8A event.
• Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell separately linked the sighting to a CZ‑8A launch earlier that evening.
• Expelled propellant from the rocket’s upper stage froze into tiny crystals that reflected sunlight, making the streak visible for several minutes after dark.
• Chinese state media reported the Wenchang launch successfully deployed satellites, and an ESA expert noted such fuel releases are not unusual.