NASA Admin Scolds China After Out-of-Control Rocket Lands in Indian Ocean
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A Long March 5B rocket in 2020. (Photo: STR/AFP, Getty Images)
After days of fretting over when and where an out-of-control Chinese rocket would land as it fell back to Earth, China announced early Sunday that the rocket had landed in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives. Although it was unclear whether the debris had caused any damage, NASA sharply scolded China for failing to be responsible with its space debris.
In a statement released on Sunday after the debris landed, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that spacefaring nations had to minimise the risks to people and property on Earth when it comes to re-entries of space objects. Nelson also maintained that it was important to maximise transparency regarding these re-entries. In this case, the space debris consisted of the core stage of a Long March 5B rocket, which was 30 metres long and 5 metres wide.
Reuters
Published: 09 May 2021 10:03 AM BdST
Updated: 09 May 2021 10:12 AM BdST FILE PHOTO: The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the core module of China s space station Tianhe, takes off from Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, China April 29, 2021. China Daily via REUTERS
Remnants of China s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit. );
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The coordinates given by state media, citing the China Manned Space Engineering Office, put the point of impact in the ocean, west of the Maldives archipelago.
Remnants of China s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit.
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