Debris from a Chinese rocket tumbling down through space is set to hit the Earth this weekend. Although no one knows exactly where it’s going to fall, experts believe that there is a slim chance of debris hitting New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Abuja or Beijing.
Dateline lists 10 important facts about the falling rocket that readers should know.
- The rocket was launched by China in late April and is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere sometime late Saturday or early Sunday, according to experts and officials.
- There is a tiny chance the debris could hit New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, the Nigerian capital of Abuja or Beijing. It will more likely land in an ocean or the wilderness.
- Scientists say the risk of it killing anyone after it re-enters the planet’s atmosphere is small but not impossible.
- It’s 10-stories tall and twice as heavy as a school bus.
- The 98-foot-long, 20-ton section of China’s Long March 5B rocket is falling through space inan uncontrolled orbit at 18,000 miles per hour.
- It is common for pieces of rockets to fall back to Earth but this particular section has drawn concern because of its lack of control means – experts aren’t sure where it will come down.
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said it would burn up on re-entry calling its descent “common international practice.”
- There are chances it will fall in the sea.
- The California-based Aerospace Corporation says between 60 and 80 percent of the rocket remnant will likely burn up — but the rest will likely hit ground or water.
- The U.S. Space Command is tracking the Chinese debris but has no plans to shoot it down,Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.
Source: nbcnews.com
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