An out-of-control Chinese missile could fall to Earth next week
The US Space Command revealed that the remains of a huge Chinese missile may fall to Earth next week, and that it is tracking its path moment by moment, bringing to mind what happened in May last year when a Chinese missile got out of control, raising fears of its place on Earth.
The 23-ton "Long March 5B" rocket, which carried the Chinese space laboratory "Wentian" module from Hainan Island, took off into space last Sunday, and is about to return to Earth, but out of control.
After its mission was successfully completed, the missile took an uncontrollable descent into the Earth's atmosphere, "and it is not clear where it will fall," according to what the US media quoted the US Space Command as saying.
The US command said that it is tracking the fall of the Chinese missile to the ground, according to a spokesperson, adding that based on changing weather conditions, the point of entry of the missile into the Earth's atmosphere "can only be determined within hours before it enters," but revealed that it is destined to enter the Earth's atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere on August 1st.
He revealed that the 18th Space Defense Squadron, which is part of the US Army, is tracking entry operations and will provide daily updates on its location.
For his part, according to "Al Arabiya.net", astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Jonathan McDowell, said that "with no active control system, and no engine that can be restarted to return it to Earth, it is expected that the rocket will spin in its orbit." Then it eventually burns up due to friction with the atmosphere."
This uncontrollable landing, as described by Michael Byers, a professor at Columbia University, who authored a recent study on the risk of casualties from space debris, represents the third case of Chinese missiles that failed a balanced landing, which constitutes further evidence of the validity of the accusations against Beijing of “not dealing with space debris properly.
Byers explained that space debris poses very little danger to humans, but that larger portions can cause damage if they land in populated areas.
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