Posted on 07/29/2022 4:06:29 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A big Chinese rocket body will likely crash back to Earth tomorrow (July 30)...
The 25-ton (22.5 metric tons) core stage of a Long March 5B rocket will reenter Earth's atmosphere tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. EDT (1805 GMT), plus or minus five hours...
Most of the rocket body will burn up, but big chunks of it will survive the fiery passage — probably 5.5 tons to 9.9 tons(opens in new tab) (5 to 9 metric tons)..
Based on the core stage's orbit, we know those hunks will come down somewhere between 41 degrees north latitude and 41 degrees south latitude. Europe and most of Northern Africa appear to be out of the line of fire, based on the latest forecast. We also know the debris "footprint" will be large, with some pieces likely falling several hundred miles from each other.
Long March 5B core isn't taking a smooth, predictable path through the upper atmosphere, further complicating forecasting attempts...
Long March 5B core is likely to reenter over water, because oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface. And even a fall over terra firma is unlikely to result in injuries or infrastructure damage, given that most people live in big metropolitan areas that are separated by many miles of open space.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
I know that think up in the sky might look like the Death Star, but don’t worry. That’s just the Moon.
Thank you!
Dammit. One of them lines crosses my property.
Better check my home owner policies if they cover commie space debris.
It is good for tracking sats and the ISS, though.
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