A Long March-5B Y2 rocket carrying the core module of China's space station, Tianhe, blasts off from ... [+] the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on April 29. Crucial Quote“I would not lose one second of sleep over this on a personal threat basis," Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told CNN earlier this week. Key BackgroundChina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed this week it’s “common practice” for rockets like Long March to burn up after entering the atmosphere. But experts say it isn’t common for massive rocket pieces to pose this kind of threat. Normally, rocket boosters are designed to detach and deliberately steer themselves toward the ocean in a controlled manner, instead of entering orbit and careening unpredictably toward Earth.

Source: Forbes May 08, 2021 17:19 UTC