A Chinese booster rocket returned to Earth uncontrollably on Saturday, leading US officials to criticize Beijing for not sharing information about the potentially dangerous object’s descent. The US Space Administration “can confirm that the Long March 5B (CZ-5B) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) re-entered the Indian Ocean at approximately 10:45 AM. MDT on 7/30,” the US military unit said on Twitter. “We refer you to #PRC for more details on the technical aspects of re-entry, such as possible debris dispersion + impact location,” it said. In a statement posted on its official WeChat profile, the China Manned Space Agency later provided coordinates for an impact site in the Sulu Sea, about 35 miles (57 kilometers) off the east coast of the Philippine island of Palawan. “Most of its devices were destroyed and destroyed on reentry,” the agency said of the booster rocket, which was used last Sunday to launch the second of three modules China needed to complete its new Tiangong space station. Malaysia’s space agency said it spotted rocket debris burning on re-entry before crashing into the Sulu Sea northeast of Borneo island. “The missile debris caught fire as it entered Earth’s airspace and the movement of the burning debris also crossed Malaysian airspace and could be detected in many areas, including crossing the airspace around the state of Sarawak,” he reported. Graphic showing how China’s mission timeline to build its space station. NASA review NASA Administrator Bill Nelson criticized Beijing on Twitter, saying the failure to share details of the rocket’s descent was irresponsible and dangerous. “All spaceport nations should follow established best practices and do their part to share this type of information in advance,” Nelson wrote, “to allow reliable predictions of potential debris impact risk, especially for vehicles heavy lifting vehicles such as the Long March 5B. , which pose a significant risk of loss of life and property”. He added: “This is critical to the responsible use of space and to ensuring the safety of people here on Earth.” The Tiangong space station is one of the crown jewels of Beijing’s ambitious space program, which has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China only the third nation to put humans into orbit. The new module, propelled by Long March 5B, successfully docked with Tiangong’s core module on Monday, and the three astronauts who have been living in the main compartment since June successfully entered the new lab. When China launched its first Tiangong module in April 2021, there was a similar frenzy about the potential for damage caused by an unanticipated booster reintroduction. Objects generate enormous amounts of heat and friction when they enter the atmosphere, which can cause them to burn up and break up. But larger ones like the Long March-5B may not be completely destroyed. In 2020, debris from another Chinese missile fell on villages in Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths. China has poured billions of dollars into spaceflight and exploration as it seeks to build a program that reflects its stature as a rising world power. Uncontrolled debris from Chinese space rocket could crash back to Earth on Saturday © 2022 AFP
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