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Long March 5B, the out-of-control 21-ton Chinese rocket, is expected to crash back to Earth on Saturday (May 8), possibly hitting an inhabited area, the US government warns.
A Department of Defense spokesperson revealed the date of its expected reentry into Earth's atmosphere, but said its exact entry point can't currently be determined.
Daily updates on its location are being posted on Space Track, and the government will be providing additional information 'as it becomes available', the spokesperson added.
Other satellite trackers have also detected the 100-foot-long, 16-foot-wide rocket body, now designated as '2021-035B', travelling at more than four miles per second – fast enough to loop the Earth in under two hours.