The charred remnants of a rocket booster plunged uncontrolled back to Earth Friday morning, an event decried in the West as an irresponsibly risky move by the China National Space Administration
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. . The rocket reentered the atmosphere over the south-central Pacific Ocean just after 6 a.m. ET, according to the US Space Command, which is part of the Department of Defense. “Once again, the People’s Republic of China is taking unnecessary risks with the uncontrolled rocket stage reentry of their Long March 5B rocket stage.
Muelhaupt noted that after one of the boosters crash-landed in 2022, debris was found in Malaysia and the Philippines. This specific rocket booster was used on an October 31 mission that carried another piece of China’s new space station, called Tiangong, to orbit. Most rockets flying today are built with a means to ensure that rocket boosters are safely discarded. Some companies ensure rockets are steered back toward the ocean.
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