Officials in Beijing have warned that part of the launched segment of China's space station will return
"After monitoring and analysis, at 10:24 a.m. on May 9, 2021, debris from the last stage of the Long March 5B Yao-2 launch vehicle re-entered the atmosphere with coordinates of a point in the Indian Ocean nearMaldives"
China Manned Space Technology Administration
He added that most of the segment has disintegrated.and was destroyed during the descent. US Space Command said the rocket "re-entered over the Arabian Peninsula at approximately 10:15 pm ET on May 8". At that time, it was not known whether the wreckage of land or water touched
The drop in the segment coincided with the forecasts of experts aboutthe fact that such debris will fall into the ocean, given that 70% of our planet is covered with water. Since it was an uncontrolled descent, public interest and speculation about where the debris would land has generated widespread public interest. American and European space authorities were among those who tracked the rocket and tried to predict its return.
What was the problem:When objects enter the atmosphere, they generate enormous amounts of heat and friction, which can lead to their fire and decay. But the larger ones, such as the Long March-5B, cannot be destroyed completely.
Their debris can land on the surface of the planet and cause damage and casualties, although thisLast year, debris from another Chinese Long March rocket fell on a village in Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths.
According to Harvard astronomer JonathanMcDowell, this incident is dangerous in that the fourth largest object in history has undergone an uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere. The uncertainty and risks of such a return have prompted accusations of Beijing's irresponsible behavior (and it turns out, not for the first time).
Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested China was negligent, and NASA executive Bill Nelson did the same after the rocket crashed.
"Spacefaring nations should minimize the risks to people and property on Earth of re-entry of space objects and maximize transparency regarding these operations.It is clear that China is not meeting responsible standards with regard to its space debris."
Bill Nelson, NASA
To avoid such scenarios, someexperts recommended upgrading the Long March-5B missile, which is not equipped for controlled launch. But it should be borne in mind that a return to the ocean is still more statistically likely. And in this regard, China has won its game, but such behavior in the eyes of the public and the leadership of space agencies and other countries is reckless.
Some speculate that the Chinese authorities downplayed the risk of this missile falling on habitable areas due to what happened last year in the case of Côte d'Ivoire.At the same time, Beijing has invested billions of dollars in space exploration to increase its global status and technological power.The launch of the first module of its space station, which crashed on Sunday, was a major milestone in its ambitious plan to ensure a permanent human presence in space.The Chinese authorities have been saying all along that the likelihood of harm to aviation activities or (people and human settlements) on Earth is extremely low.
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