Where and when the wreckage of the runaway Chinese rocket could fall

05/06/2021 9:24 AM

• Clarín.com

• Technology

Updated 05/06/2021 9:26 AM

The United States Air Force warned that the remains of

the Chinese Long March 5B rocket are flying over the Earth out of control and that they are preparing to re-enter the atmosphere

.

According to the first calculations, they will crash in the Pacific Ocean between May 8 and 9.

However, the Pentagon launched an alert that covers our country,

since as it crossed through Argentina on Tuesday, at any moment they could cross the earth's atmosphere and impact the homeland.

The estimate is unlikely, but considering that the Russian

Salyut 7

spacecraft

, which weighed 39 metric tons and impacted our country in 1991, then anything can happen.

Most space debris burns in the atmosphere,

but the size of the rocket's debris raises concern at the Pentagon because some of its larger pieces could enter Earth's atmosphere

and cause damage if they hit inhabited areas.

#Chile and #Argentina.

Now (15:53 ​​Chile) The Central Part of the Chinese Long March 5B🚀 长征 五 rocket (CZ-5B ROCKET BODY) is passing through the area.

This object is predicted to re-enter Earth on May 10, 2021. pic.twitter.com/WhSjBBg3xR

- 天 (@ChinaEspacial) May 3, 2021

However, Chinese media have announced that the remains of the Long March-5B Y2 rocket that launched the first section of the Chinese space station into orbit,

could fall into the open sea, without risk to the population

.

Chinese space analysts cited by Global Times - owned by the People's Daily, the official organ of the Chinese Communist Party - 

explain that debris from rocket launches falling back to Earth is common in the aerospace field.

The Pentagon's claim that the rocket debris is flying back out of control and can cause damage if it hits inhabited areas

is nothing more than Western exaggeration of the 'threat from China' in advancing space technology. "

Song Zhongping, an aerospace expert and television commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday that it is

"completely normal" for the rocket debris to return to Earth.

Space fear

The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, which carries the Tianhe module.

Photo Xinhua

Wang Ya'nan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, added that China's space authorities

carefully considered the development of rocket debris fall from the initial design phase of

the rocket to the choice of launch site, attitude takeoff of the rocket and its trajectory.

"Most of the debris will burn up during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere,

leaving only a very small portion that can fall to the ground, potentially landing in areas far away from human activities

or in the ocean," Wang told Global Times on Wednesday.

As China's launch vehicle is made mostly of lightweight materials,

most of it will easily burn out from the dense air in the atmosphere after its re-entry at high speed,

the space experts explained.

The aerospace expert noted that China's space monitoring network will also closely monitor the areas

covered by the rocket's flight course and take necessary action if any damage occurs to passing ships.

Song elaborated on the green fuel used by the rocket, which would not cause water pollution if debris fell into the ocean.

SL

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