Chinese Rocket that launched part of their space station last week is in an 'uncontrolled decent' back to earth. No one knows when or where it will land at this point.
https://www.mic.com/p/space-debris-from-a-rocket-launch-is-currently-hurtling-toward-earth-76209944
The nearly 100-foot-tall core of China's Long March 5B rocket, a variant of the country's largest rocket, entered temporary orbit during the trip. Typically, these rockets would have a deorbit mechanism that would fall to Earth in a controlled and predictable manner, but sky observers believe the rocket core is tumbling out of control. That has set the stage for the hunk of metal to make the largest ever uncontrolled re-entry, and where it ends up is anyone's guess. According to Space News, its current trajectory suggests it could fall as far north as cities like New York, Madrid, and Beijing, or as far south as southern Chile or Wellington, New Zealand.
According to orbit.ing-now.com, a service that tracks the path of objects in orbit, the rocket core has an altitude of more than 186 miles and is orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes at a speed of about 17,000 miles per hour. As it is dragged down toward Earth, it will eventually re-enter the atmosphere and begin its freefall toward the surface. That could happen within the next few days or may take weeks, according to The Conversation. But when it does happen, there is a real concern that parts of the rocket core will crash in places where people live.
https://www.mic.com/p/space-debris-from-a-rocket-launch-is-currently-hurtling-toward-earth-76209944
The nearly 100-foot-tall core of China's Long March 5B rocket, a variant of the country's largest rocket, entered temporary orbit during the trip. Typically, these rockets would have a deorbit mechanism that would fall to Earth in a controlled and predictable manner, but sky observers believe the rocket core is tumbling out of control. That has set the stage for the hunk of metal to make the largest ever uncontrolled re-entry, and where it ends up is anyone's guess. According to Space News, its current trajectory suggests it could fall as far north as cities like New York, Madrid, and Beijing, or as far south as southern Chile or Wellington, New Zealand.
According to orbit.ing-now.com, a service that tracks the path of objects in orbit, the rocket core has an altitude of more than 186 miles and is orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes at a speed of about 17,000 miles per hour. As it is dragged down toward Earth, it will eventually re-enter the atmosphere and begin its freefall toward the surface. That could happen within the next few days or may take weeks, according to The Conversation. But when it does happen, there is a real concern that parts of the rocket core will crash in places where people live.
