Experts predict that another Chinese rocket will fall to Earth. The object in question is the roughly 25-ton (22.5-metric ton) portion of the Long March 5B rocket launched into orbit for Wentian, the second module of China’s under-construction Tiangong space station, on Sunday (July 24). No one knows exactly where the rocket will land, but astronomers have calculated where it might crash and have given a possible date.
WHEN WILL CHINA’S SPACE WRAPPED FALL TO THE WORLD?
According to the information in the news of Space.com, researchers at The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Orbital Reentry and Debris Research (CORDS) stated that the body of the rocket will probably stay in the air for about a week. Analyzing tracking data collected by the US Space Force’s Space Surveillance Network, researchers calculated that the rocket body would re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on July 31.
CORDS researchers stressed that it is too early to predict where the Chinese rocket will land. However, it is estimated that the rocket will crash to Earth somewhere between 41 degrees north latitude and 41 degrees south latitude. Researchers shared the map below on Twitter by marking the estimated location where the rocket will fall.
As expected, some of the debris will burn, but the rest will fall to Earth.
The core modules of most rockets, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, are designed to land safely at sea or land shortly after takeoff to allow for reuse, or to be diverted to rural areas where it won’t harm anyone. But the Long March 5B rocket, unlike most rockets, took the lead role of interesting events. For example, the rocket, which took off on May 5, 2020, landed uncontrollably on the west coast of Africa about a week later.
EVERYONE FEARED IN 2021
The event that everyone will remember occurred in 2021. The second Long March 5B rocket, launched on April 29 to carry the Tiangong space station’s core module, known as Tianhe, went out of control. It has been announced by many researchers that the rocket will fall to Earth. Turkey was also shown among the countries at risk with many of its cities. The Chinese rocket, which caused the fear of the whole world, fell into the Indian Ocean in May 2021, giving many people a sigh of relief. No one was injured in any of these incidents.
HARD EXIT FROM NASA TO CHINA
But NASA administrator Bill Nelson lashed out at China, saying: “Countries traveling to space must minimize the risks to people and property of re-entry of space objects to Earth and maximize transparency regarding these operations.” he said.
The Tiangong space station will ultimately consist of three modules. China is expected to launch the Long March 5B again this fall to deliver the third and final module to the station.
For now, all eyes are on the rocket that is predicted to fall to Earth. After this claim in international news, more official, clearer and more precise statements are expected in the coming days. However, it would be best to wait for these explanations before worrying.