HIGHLIGHTS
- The debris from Long March 5B expected to crash on May 8.
- China’s largest rocket, the Long March 5B was launched on April 29.
- It weighs over 20,000 kg and is roughly 30-metre long.
Heads up! It's homecoming time for 'out-of-control' debris from the Long March 5B, that blasted off on April 29 from Hainan island. As per China's Global Times, a large part of space debris that is currently in an uncontrolled re-entry phase is expected to crash down on Earth this weekend.
China has finally informed that the falling space rocket that is plummeting freely on earth and is set to re-enter Earth’s surface this weekend is 'unlikely' to cause any damage.
It is still not known where the debris is likely to fall and concerned countries have been alerted and have been asked to take preventive measures. Chinese experts, according to the official media, are saying that the parts of the disintegrated rocket will fall in international waters.
The said rocket was used by China to launch part of its space station.
Space debris objects must burn up in the atmosphere, but this has not happened. If large free-falling parts re-enter the Earth’s surface, it may cause big damage if they hit inhabited areas.
Amid the concerns that it might cause damage on re-entry to Earth due to its heavyweight, the US Space Command is constantly tracking the debris.
Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine stated, "Most of the debris will burn up during re-entry ... leaving only a very small portion that may fall to the ground, which will potentially land on areas away from human activities or in the ocean."
Here are a few things you must know about the China rocket scare:
What is the size of the debris?
As per the reports by The Guardian, a large part of the debris that will crash back to Earth on Saturday, US time, is roughly 30 metres (100ft) long and weighs over 20,000 kg, making it one of the longest debris to ever fall on the earth.
When will the giant piece hit the earth?
One of the pieces from China’s largest rocket, the Long March 5B, is tumbling out of control in space and it is certainly something to worry about. The exact location of where this Chinese rocket will fall cannot be predicted, still, as per the media reports, the debris is expected to re-enter and crash between 1.30 PM UTC (7.30 PM IST) on 8 May and 7.30 PM UTC on 9 May (1.00 AM IST on 10 May).
Where will the Chinese rocket crash?
Determining the exact location is difficult for scientists, as of now. Although, it is expected that the crash will reportedly occur between latitudes 41.5 degrees north, which runs through North America, Southern Europe, and China, and 41.5 degrees south, which falls in S. America, Africa, Australia, and NZ, as its orbital inclination is 41.5 degrees.
What will happen when debris from this Chinese rocket hits the earth?
It's a routine for every rocket stage to fall after a while, once its fuel is burnt and the altitude is reached. Though for most rockets it occurs immediately, some take time. Lower stages burn in the atmosphere while upper stages reach orbit, fire their engines after a while and reenter the earth harmlessly over the ocean.
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But China has been criticised for its habit of not planning the re-entry properly. In 2020 also, they launched another Long March 5B rocket which made an 'out-of-control' re-entry into the earth, damaging buildings in two villages that were situated in the Republic of Ivory Coast, in West Africa.
China's first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2016. In 2019, they performed a controlled re-entry of its second station, Tiangong-2, which ended up burning in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
China to take measures to control the damage
As per The Global Times reports, aerospace expert Song Zhongping has said that the space monitoring network in China is keeping a close eye on the debris' movement and will ensure that adequate measures are taken to avoid damage to passing ships.
He added that the environmentally friendly fuel used by the Long March 5B would not damage the ocean. "In all, it is another hyping of the so-called 'China space threat' adopted by some Western forces," Song exclaimed.
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