China’s Out-Of-Control Rocket Finally Falls Into The Indian Ocean

China's Out-Of-Control Rocket Finally Falls Into Indian Ocean
Image: Unsplash

A Chinese Long March 5B rocket that had launched the newest component of the nation’s Tiangong space station into orbit on July 24 reentered Earth’s atmosphere on Saturday, generating a spectacular (and somewhat unnerving) spectacle as it came crashing down in the Indian Ocean.

Twitter user Nazri Sulaiman recorded a 27-second video of the rocket’s first stage disintegrating over Kuching, Malaysia. Before astronomers accurately recognized the wreckage as the remains of a Chinese rocket, Sulaiman and other people initially mistook the spacecraft for a meteor shower.

China rocket finally crashes

China's Out-Of-Control Rocket Finally Falls Into Indian Ocean
Image: Wallpaper Access

As per Engadget, U.S. Space Command verified the Long March 5B’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere around 12:45 PM ET on Saturday. In re-entry over the Sulu Sea between the Philippines and Malaysia, most of the debris, according to China, burned up. The rocket was anticipated crashing for a while now.

The Long March 5B cannot restart its engine to accomplish a controlled atmospheric re-entry, in contrast to many contemporary rockets such as the SpaceX Falcon 9. When China fired a missile, people were concerned about where it might land.

Is the philipines harmed?

Remains of a Long March 5B that were dropped on towns in the Ivory Coast during a test flight in 2020 caused property damage. The debris was seen in the skies above the Western Philippines; as it crashed to the ground after reentering the atmosphere. The Philippines, however, escaped unharmed from the debris.

According to Marc Talampas of the Philippine Space Agency, the government has been instructed to keep an eye out for rocket debris that may have splashed into the waters outside the province of Palawan. China failed to alert the Philippine Space Agency of the impending rocket debris.

The China Manned Space Agency stated that the Long March-5B rocket’s last stage completely burned up shortly after it entered the atmosphere at 12:55 a.m. The booster would be permitted to fall unguided, the agency has previously stated.

The notification indicated the “landing spot” was at 119 degrees east longitude and 9.1 degrees north latitude but did not specify whether the remaining debris fell on land or in the sea.

China intends to use the Long March 5B at least twice more. The third and last component of Tiangong will be sent to orbit in October via rocket. With the nation’s Xuntian space telescope, it will repeat the process the following year. What are your thoughts on this? Comment down below.

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