NASA is launching the Black Brant XII rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia Saturday evening. It may be visible from some U.S. states, including Indiana.
Chinese rocket just HOURS from hitting Earth as scientists desperately track path of 21-ton space junk
Updated: May 8 2021, 15:22 ET
THE out-of-control Chinese rocket is just HOURS from hitting Earth as scientists desperately track the 21-ton space junk s path.
It is feared that it could hit cities including New York City, Rome or even Madrid as it s set to crash back to Earth today, warn experts.
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The rocket lifted off from from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China s Hainan province on April 29Credit: Getty
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The out-of-control space junk is being shown orbiting in various directions around the globe, across the northern and southern hemispheresCredit: Orbit.ing-now.com
Updated: May 8 2021, 12:07 ET
THE out-of-control Chinese rocket could hit cities including New York City, Rome or even Madrid as it s set to crash back to Earth TODAY, warn experts.
Scientists trying to track the final movements of the 21-ton space junk - as big as three fire engines - say it could also plummet to Chicago or Beijing.
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Where will it land? No one knows for sure
The rocket stage’s orbital inclination of 41.5 degrees means that reentry could potentially be as far north as Chicago, New York City, Rome and Beijing, explains Aerospace in the US.
Or, it could end up as far south as New Zealand and Chile.
NASA is launching the Black Brant XII rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia Saturday evening. It may be visible from some U.S. states, including Indiana.
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A Long March 5B rocket lifts off with the Tianhe space station module. Credit: Xinhua
For the second time in a year, a large spent Chinese rocket stage intentionally left in orbit is heading for an unguided plunge back into Earth’s atmosphere Saturday or Sunday somewhere between 41.5 degrees north and south latitude.
The heavy-lift Long March 5B rocket stage took off April 28 with the Tianhe core module for China’s space station. The Long March 5B one of the most powerful rockets in the world tracked downrange to the southeast from the Wenchang launch base on Hainan Island, China’s southernmost province.