A Chinese rocket had begun an uncontrollable descent on Earth, preventing scientists until the last moment from predicting its point of fall. It crashed to earth on Saturday.
The central stage of China’s Long March 5B launch vehicle finally crashed into the Indian Ocean on Saturday, July 30th. After all, the stage of the Long March-5B (LM-5B) rocket, whose weight reaches 22.5 tons, did not completely disintegrate upon entering the atmosphere. And so the dreaded impact happened around 6.45 p.m. in the Indian Ocean. The exact drop point and the extent of the debris impact are still unknown.
It was the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), one of the 11 joint combat commands of the US armed forces responsible for space operations, that made the announcement on Saturday.
#USSPACECOM Can confirm that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Mar 5 (CZ-5B) reentered over the Indian Ocean at approximately 10:45 am MDT on July 30. We refer to the #PRC for more details on the technical aspects of reentry, such as
— US Space Command (@US_SpaceCom) July 30, 2022
The 23-ton Chinese rocket that launched from Hainan Island on July 24 to carry a module to China’s space station had begun what it described as an “uncontrollable” descent to Earth.