22.5-tonne Chinese rocket poses danger as it heads to crash back on Earth

The 22.5-metric-ton core booster of a Chinese rocket that is expected to crash back to Earth poses a danger of causing death and destruction in its wake.

An Aerospace Corporation report states that the third and final experiment module of China’s Tiangong Space Station, Mengtian, was carried onboard a Long March 5B rocket on Oct. 31, 2022.

“In the following days, the rocket’s estimated 22.5-metric-ton core booster – roughly the size of a 10-storey building – is expected to make an uncontrolled re-entry back to Earth,” according to the statement.

“The uncertainty of where the large debris will ultimately land presents a level of risk to human safety and property damage that is well above commonly accepted thresholds,” the Aerospace Corporation said in a statement published on its website.

The Aerospace Corporation’s experts at the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS) are actively tracking the CZ-5B rocket body and intend to share their reentry predictions as sufficient data becomes available.

The 28-hour window for its re-entry and crashing on the surface of the planet will begin on Friday evening (Pacific Time) and continue through Saturday, according to predictions from the Aerospace Corporation, which tracks orbital re-entries.