China’s Long March Rocket Booster Makes Uncontrolled Reentry Back to Earth

The first stage of the Chinese Long March 5B rocket reentered the atmosphere over Southeast Asia on Saturday, six days after it was launched into space. China decided to let the booster fall without warning. They didn't share any tracking data and the large size of the rocket stage worried people because it could cause injury or death.

The debris from the Long March 5B stage reentered the atmosphere at 12:45 p.m., according to the US Space Command. The Indian Ocean will be visible on July 30, 2022.

The core stage is about sixteen feet in width and weights over twenty thousand lbs.

Bill Nelson criticized the entry for not giving advance trajectory notice of the booster.

As the Long March 5B rocket fell back to Earth, the PRC did not give specific trajectory information. All spacefaring nations should follow established best practices, and do their part to share this type of information in advance to allow reliable predictions of potential debris impact risk, especially for heavy-lift vehicles, like the Long March 5B. It's important to ensure the safety of people here on Earth by doing so.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and orbital debris specialist, said that debris could land in northern Borneo.

About 20% to 40% of the empty rocket stage can survive, such as engine components designed to endure high temperatures, according to experts.

In the past, China has allowed a booster to fall back to Earth. After a similar event last year NASA said that China failed to meet responsible standards for their space debris.

NASA Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen said something must have gone terribly wrong when China didn't give any information on why the booster would fall back to Earth.

There is a 10% chance that someone will die from debris falling from space over the next ten years.