Debris from a 25-ton Chinese booster rocket may crash on Earth before July ends. Some U.S.-backed space agencies warn about the effects of the spacecraft debris' impact. However, Chinese state-backed media find the claims exaggerated.
(Photo : Photo by STR/CNS/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on April 23, 2021 shows the Long March 5B rocket, which is expected to launch China's Tianhe space station core module on April 29, at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China's Hainan province. - China OUT (Photo by STR / CNS / AFP) / China OUT
The rocket debris' uncontrolled re-entry was first predicted by the Aerospace Corp., a non-profit organization funded by the U.S. government.
"Our latest prediction for #CZ5B rocket body reentry is: 31 Jul 2022 07:34 UTC ± 22 hours," said the aerospace organization via its official Twitter announcement.
Our latest prediction for #CZ5B rocket body reentry is:
🚀 31 Jul 2022 07:34 UTC ± 22 hours
Reentry will be along one of the ground tracks shown here. It is still too early to determine a meaningful debris footprint. Follow this page for updates: https://t.co/SxrMtcJnj0 pic.twitter.com/MwWiF85iPI— The Aerospace Corporation (@AerospaceCorp) July 26, 2022
Based on the data it provided, the debris field may include Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, India, Brazil, and the United States.
Chinese 25-Ton Rocket Booster Debris Earth Crash Might Happen
According to Bloomberg's latest report, debris is part of a Chinese Long March 5B spacecraft's booster (weighing 25 tons), launched on July 24.
(Photo : Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
A Long March 5B rocket lifts off from the the Wenchang launch site on China's southern Hainan island on May 5, 2020. - Chinese state media reported the "successful" launch of a new rocket on May 5, a major test of its ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT
It is expected to make a re-entry on July 31, possibly causing some damages as it lands. However, it is still unclear how likely this is to happen.
The Aerospace Corp. only said there's a non-zero probability of the rocket debris landing on popular areas. Although the total weight and amount of debris are not yet confirmed, experts are still criticizing China.
They said that the uncontrolled re-entry of massive rocket booster's components shows the risks of China's space activities as it competes with the U.S.
Now, some state-backed media companies defend China, claiming that the warnings are exaggerated.
Warnings Over Chinese Rocket Crash are Exaggerated?
Fortune reported that state-backed media claims that the warnings are being exaggerated, saying that it is the way of the U.S. to defame China's space missions.
They also believe that the exaggerated warnings are obviously being announced with bad intentions. Among these China-backed media companies is Guancha.cn, Global Times, and other media entities.
If you want to see further details about the upcoming Chinese rocket crash, you can visit this link.
Meanwhile, the Roscosmos-NASA cooperation is expected to end as Russia confirmed its ISS departure this coming 2024.
On the other hand, China's Wentian Module was successfully launched, allowing it to dock on the Tiangong Space Station.
For more news updates about Chinese rocket debris and other space threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: 21-Ton Chinese Rocket is Falling to the Earth, But Scientists Can't Predict Where and When it Will Hit
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Written by: Griffin Davis
