The 25-ton core stage of the Long March 5B rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere at 18:45 Moscow time
US Space Command on Twitterconfirmed the entry of the tracked object into the Earth's atmosphere, but did not report how much the debris had dispersed and whether there was damage to the infrastructure. For details, it recommended contacting the Chinese authorities.
#USSPACECOM can confirm the People's Republic ofChina (PRC) Long March 5B (CZ-5B) re-entered over the Indian Ocean at approx 10:45 am MDT on 7/30. We refer you to the #PRC for further details on the reentry’s technical aspects such as potential debris dispersal+ impact location.
— U.S. Space Command (@US_SpaceCom) July 30, 2022
Chinese space officials also confirmedrocket entry into the atmosphere. According to them, it fell in the sea at 119.0° east longitude and 9.1° north latitude. They also reported that upon re-entry, most of the device burned up.
Long March 5B launched from Earth on July 24,by delivering a new module to China's Tiangong space station under construction. Unlike the main stages of most rockets, which are sent to safety shortly after launch or soft-landed for future reuse, it went into orbit with its payload. After the mission was complete, the rocket remained aloft—like a large, fast-moving piece of space debris—until atmospheric drag brought it down in an unpredictable and uncontrollable fashion.
According to experts from the Research Centerorbital entry and debris of the Aerospace Corporation, rocket fragments weighing from 5.5 to 9.9 tons survived until the moment of entry into the atmosphere. Such an object, if it enters a populated area, can cause significant destruction.
Astrophysicist and satellite tracking specialistJonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center thinks it's possible that falling rocket debris caused injuries or damage to infrastructure, given the re-entry site. For example, one observer filmed a rocket crash from Kuching in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, posting a video of the dramatic event on his Twitter.
Rocket crash video. Source: Nazri Sulaiman, Twitter
Cover image: Long March 5B rocket before launch. Source: Xinhua News Agency
Read more:
Scientists filmed a strange creature with tentacles, which they mistook for a flower
The supersonic plane will fly at a speed of 2,000 km/h and cross the ocean in 3.5 hours
An out-of-control Chinese rocket will soon fall back to Earth. What's happening