The Chinese rocket booster falls to earth uncontrollably

The core spacecraft of the Chinese Space Station (CSS) successfully launched on a long March 5B rocket this Thursday, April 29th. The missile’s booster is about to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, but we still do not know where or when this debris will hit our planet.

The first phase of the Chinese Long March 5B launcher then falls to Earth “unpredictably.” Successful release This Thursday, April 29, from the Wensang site, reports Spacenews. His return to earth could happen any day. Contradictions suggest that this debris will burn up in the atmosphere and that “survivors” will fall back into one of the oceans, making up more than 70% of the planet. However, it is not excluded that the booster threatens a populated area.

Unrestricted re-entry

Most rocket boosters reach orbital speed and do not reach the atmosphere again, ending in a pre-defined area. Some, larger ones, go slightly higher, but immediately execute atmospheric maneuvers to reduce the time in orbit to avoid the risk of colliding with other spacecraft.

As for the launch site of interest to us, everything suggested that Long March 5 would be an active maneuver in PD-orbit. Apparently, it is not like that. Hence the uncontrolled fall.

It is now very difficult to anticipate the trajectory of this collapsed rocket phase because there are many uncertainties in calculating the effect of atmospheric traction on the central block (the atmospheric surface may expand or contract with solar activity). The size and density of the material is also a factor.

Time is of the essence

According to ground radars used by the U.S. military, the main stage of the missile, about thirty meters long and five meters wide, is currently flying at an altitude of 170 to 372 kilometers and traveling in space. Seven kilometers per second. With its speed, the booster is roughly orbiting the earth Every 90 minutes.

As more time passes for our planet to be “snatched away” by gravity, matter decreases. Its orbital inclination is 41.5 degrees, which means it sometimes travels just north of New York, Madrid and Beijing, and sometimes passes through southern Chile or Wellington, New Zealand.

As pointed out by SpaceNews, “So the thrower can re-enter this zone at any time”. Time is of the essence. At this speed, a few minutes of change in atmospheric reuse will change this resale point several thousand kilometers away.

Judging by space travel observer Jonathan McDowell “Unacceptable”, By current standards, let such a large object enter the atmosphere without restraint. “Since 1990, nothing more than ten tons of unrestricted entry has been deliberately left in orbit.”, He explains. “However, the mid-range Long March 5b is believed to have a dry mass (thrust vacuum) of about 21 tons, without its four-sided boosters.”.

According to experts, most of this booster will burn into the atmosphere a few minutes after its re-entry. On the other hand, components made of heat-resistant materials such as tanks and propellers made of steel or titanium can reach the floor.