Huge new Long March 5B rocket stage in possible unpredictable reentry

[gary]

Space News reports :-



Full story here :-
https://spacenews.com/huge-rocket-looks-set-for-uncontrolled-reentry-following-chinese-space-station-launch/

[multiweb]

What are the odds it'll land in Taiwan.

[gregbradley]

Haha that's pithy Marc.

Greg.

[mura_gadi]

Hello,

Last years launch resulted in the primary stage coming down 6 days later. Missed USA(LA/NY) by a few hours, reports some landed on Côte d’Ivoire...

“Since 1990 nothing over 10 tons has been deliberately left in orbit to reenter uncontrolled.”

Unless you count the Chinese it seems....

Nice site for tracking various orbiting objects:
https://orbit.ing-now.com/satellite/48275/2021-035b/cz-5b/

[gary]

Radar indicates the Long March 5B booster designated CZ-5B/2021-035B
is currently in an 162 x 303 km orbit.

In the last 24 hours, it has descended an average of approximately 45km.

Amateur optical observations report it is tumbling.

Once satellites reach an average of about 200km altitude in their orbits,
things tends to go downhill fast.

Current position and altitude estimates here :-
https://orbit.ing-now.com/satellite/48275/2021-035b/cz-5b/

[pgc hunter]

It's Made in China, so like my Big W shirts, it should have no problems disintegrating in Earth's atmosphere.

[peter_4059]

:rofl::rofl:

[lazjen]

Dropping fast now. Over Indonesia, heading towards Australia :(

Edit: 172km at time of writing.

[drylander]

Wonder if a big magnet on the mum in laws place would assist?

[multiweb]

No need for a magnet. Just get her to post some unsavoury comments about the CCP on WeChat.

[Sunfish]

Looks like lunchtime Mothers Day here for splashdown. Let’s hope it is a splashdown unlike the last one.

[lazjen]

Site is saying reentry, but can't find anything on it as yet.

[pmrid]

Looks like a near miss for the Maldives. Very near.

[gary]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/2%C2%B039'00.0%22N+72%C2%B028'12.0% 22E/@2.6500054,72.4678113,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2 !3d2.65!4d72.47

[mswhin63]

Damn 40 km to the nearest island.

[multiweb]

Imagine if it landed in Michael Slater's pool. Scomo would never hear the end of it.

[Sunfish]

Extremely close. I wonder if it could have been visible to the early fishing fleet.

[pmrid]

I caught a fleeting glimpse of some footage of the re-entry. So it’s out there. It’ll crop up on FB or the like I’m sure.

[peter_4059]

:rofl: