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 An out-of-control Chinese rocket fell to Earth

A view of the core stage of China’s Long March 5b rocket as it was tumbling in space.
A view of the core stage of China’s Long March 5b rocket as it was tumbling in space. Image: Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project

The 100-foot-long (30-meter) core stage of China’s Long March 5B rocket inadvertently entered low Earth orbit on April 29. The tumbling rocket segment, it was predicted, would make an uncontrolled reentry within a few days, potentially threatening populated areas. Experts tracked the core for days but were unable to project the crash site. The rocket core eventually splashed harmlessly into the Indian Ocean on May 9.

At 23 tons, it was one of the biggest human-made objects to perform an uncontrolled reentry. NASA criticized China for not seeming to care about its wayward rocket or where it might crash, saying the country is “failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.”

A Long March 5B rocket, carrying China’s Tianhe space station core module, lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China’s Hainan province on April 29, 2021.
A Long March 5B rocket, carrying China’s Tianhe space station core module, lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China’s Hainan province on April 29, 2021. Photo: STR/AFP (Getty Images)

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