Chinese booster falls uncontrolled into the Pacific Ocean

This is the second time this year that a Chinese rocket booster has flown into the air. The booster from the Long March 5B rocket fell into the Pacific Ocean after being confirmed to be reentering the atmosphere by the U.S. Space Command. It was fortunate that the booster fell into the ocean and did not cause any damage, as observers were worried that it could have hit a wide range of countries.

There were no reports of injuries when the debris from a previous Long March 5B rocket fell in July. The third module of China's new space station was launched on October 31.

NASA officials don't like the idea of allowing rocket parts to fall through the atmosphere. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that it is critical that all spacefaring nations are responsible and transparent in their space activities and follow established best practices.

Chinese officials claim that the Long March 5B rocket is safe because most components burn up in the atmosphere. Experts say that it is irresponsible to allow these descents.

The risk for critical infrastructure in space and on the ground posed by unsustainable spaceflight practices was underscored by today's re-entry. Over the past decade, about 100 pieces of large debris have reentered the atmosphere each year with a mass of 150 metric tons. Satellites and rocket bodies heading for re-entries need to be tracked and mitigated.

Parts of Spain's airspace were temporarily closed due to the falling debris.

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