Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told CNN Saturday afternoon: “There’s no other country that’s let these 20-ton things go back into orbit in an uncontrolled way. .
“All astronaut countries should follow established best practices and do their part to share this type of information in advance to enable reliable prediction of impact risk. of debris, especially for heavy-duty vehicles, like the Long March 5B, which presents a significant risk, Nelson said.
He added: “Doing so is vital to the responsible use of space and ensuring the safety of those here on Earth.
In a statement, the China Manned Space Administration said the remnants of the rocket re-entered the atmosphere around 12:55 a.m. Beijing time on Sunday – around 12:55 p.m. Saturday. .
The agency added that most of the ruins were burned during navigation in the Sulu Sea, located between the island of Borneo and the Philippines.
“What we really want to know is if any of the pieces are actually on the ground,” McDowell told CNN. “It may take a while for the reports to filter again.”
Videos and photos posted online appear to show several bright objects sparkling in the night sky above the city of Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia. Vanessa Julan, a local, shared with CNN a video she took at around 12:50 a.m. local time, which coincides with Beijing time.
On Sunday, Malaysia’s National Space Agency released a statement confirming that “burnt debris” from China’s Long March 5B rocket had been detected. Missile debris caught fire as it entered Earth’s airspace, and the movement of flammable debris also crossed Malaysian airspace and was detected in a number of areas, including airspace, the agency said. around Sarawak state,” the agency said.
CNN’s Yong Xiong and Heather Chen contributed to this report.
