This article was revised shortly after publication to reflect an updated forecast from The Aerospace Corporation.
No, you are almost certainly not going to be hit by a 10-story, 23-ton piece of a rocket hurtling back to Earth.
That said, the chances are not zero. Part of China’s largest rocket, the Long March 5B, is tumbling out of control in orbit after launching a section of the country’s new space station last week. The rocket is expected to fall to Earth in what is called “an uncontrolled re-entry” sometime on Saturday or Sunday.
Whether it splashes harmlessly in the ocean or impacts land where people live, why China’s space program let this happen again remains unclear. And given China’s planned schedule of launches, more such uncontrolled rocket re-entries in the years to come are possible.
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NASA confirms UFO nearly collided with SpaceX’s spacecraft after launching into orbit, but a report now says it was a ‘false alarm’
Updated May 06, 2021;
Posted May 05, 2021
This image from video provided by NASA shows the SpaceX capsule as it departs the International Space Station, Saturday, May 1, 2021. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts departed the International Space Station late Saturday, aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown to end the company’s second crew flight. (NASA via AP)
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) originally reported that a SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket came close to colliding with an unidentified flying object, after launching on April 30.
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