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 (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

1211854948

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 (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Photo by: STR

STR

Chinese Space Debris is Heading for a Crash Landing on Earth

Debris from a Chinese rocket is expected to fall into Earth in an uncontrollable re-entry this weekend. Although the probability of the debris landing in a populated area is low, questions are now being raised about the responsibility of different countries to correctly dispose of their space junk.

July 29, 2022

Updated July 30, 2022

Remnants of the massive Chinese rocket debris reentered Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean at roughly 12:45 p.m. ET Saturday, June 30, 2022 according to US Space Command.

While the China Manned Space Agency agency reported that most of the remnants burned up during reentry over the Sulu Sea, between the island of Borneo and the Philippines, further investigation is needed to determine if any pieces did make landfall.

A Long March 5B rocket lifts off from 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 (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

1211853796

A Long March 5B rocket lifts off from 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 (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Photo by: STR

STR

July 29, 2022

On Sunday, a Long March 5 rocket carrying a lab module to the Tiangong space station was successfully launched. The Chinese government announced this past week that the rocket’s re-entry was unlikely to pose a risk to people on the ground because of predictions of the rocket landing in the sea.

However, recent rockets launched to China’s unfinished space station, lack the capability for controlled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The empty spacecraft is in an orbit around our planet where it is moving towards an uncontrollable re-entry.

In May of 2021, NASA released statements calling for the Chinese space agency to design their rockets in a way that would allow the disintegration of the spacecraft into smaller pieces upon re-entry. This practice is an international norm and NASA’s statement called out the Chinese space agency as well as other “spacefaring nations” to take responsibility for their debris to ensure the long-term safety and sustainability of Earth.

Although it is too early to predict the debris’ landing, many have made early predictions that the 25-tonne chunk will land in an area spanning the US, Africa, Australia, Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia.

The same Long March 5 spacecraft has launched twice, once in May of 2020 and then in May of 2021, loaded with different pieces of the Tiangong station. During both of the rocket’s flights, debris fell back on Earth, in the Ivory Coast and the Indian Ocean. Although these crashes did not cause injury, these incidents prompted criticism from an array of space agencies. When looking at space travel as a whole, it’s important to note that China’s space agency isn’t the only one responsible for space debris. This space junk from old space missions is now forming a cloud with up to 750,000 pieces of debris circling Earth. The responsibility of space clean-up falls on all international space agencies to help prevent a cataphoric environmental crisis in outer space.

Next Up

6 Months in Space Permanently Ages Bones by 10 Years

Astronauts on long-term space missions can experience bone loss equivalent to two decades of aging. New research suggests more weight-bearing exercises in space could help offset that decline.

How Exoplanets Became the Next Big Thing in Astronomy

To date, we know of over 5,000 planets outside the solar system. And astronomers suspect that there may be *checks notes* around a trillion more in our galaxy alone. The search for exoplanets is one of the hottest topics in astronomy, with expensive telescopes and giant collaborations all searching for the holy grail of the 21st century: an Earth 2.0, a habitable world like our own.

South Korea Joins Space Race by Sending its First Spacecraft to the Moon

South Korea is launching its first lunar probe to the moon on August 4th. The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) or Danuri, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is being launched to study moon carters, magnetic fields, and surface weathering.

How Astronomers Use a Trick of Gravity to See the Most Distant Objects in the Universe

Let’s say you’re an astronomer (work with me here) and you want to take a picture of something incredibly, deeply far away. You know, the typical business of astronomy.

A Guide to this August’s Best Astronomy Attractions

Learn more about the exciting things happening in the night sky this month! From the rings of Saturn to the most popular meteor shower of the year, August 2022 has us stargazing all month.

Why Astronomers Care About Super-Old Galaxies?

A long time ago, our universe was dark.It was just 380,000 years after the big bang. Up until that age, our entire observable cosmos was less than a millionth of its present size. All the material in the universe was compressed into that tiny volume, forcing it to heat up and become a plasma. But as the universe expanded and cooled, eventually the plasma changed into a neutral gas as the first atoms formed.

What We’ve Already Learned From James Webb? (Hint: it’s a lot)

That was worth the wait. Just a quick handful of months since its historic launch on Christmas Day, the James Webb Space Telescope has flown to its observing position, unfolded its delicate instruments and ultra-sized mirror, and run through a suite of checks and alignments and calibrations. The team at NASA behind the telescopes released their first batch of images from the science runs, and besides being gorgeous, they're powerful.

An Out-of-Control Rocket is about the Hit the Moon

Watch out, moon! On March 4 at precisely 7:25 am ET, a piece of rocket junk will slam into the moon.

Liftoff of NASA and SpaceX Crew-2!

The NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched on Friday, April 23 at 5:49A ET from the NASA Launch Complex 39A. This historic milestone marks the second operational mission of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Onboard was NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. After a 23-hour journey, Crew-2 successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on April 24 at 5:08A ET. Here's everything that happened from launch day to the Crew-2's arrival at the ISS. (Updated April 24, 2021)

Countdown to Launch: NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

Liftoff set for Friday, April 23, at 5:49A EDT marks the second operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Four space explorers are heading to the International Space Station for a six-month stay. It will take them 23 hours to reach their destination.

Related To: