Unlikely for Chinese rocket debris to hit us, says space agency - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: The public is advised not to worry about reports that a Chinese-owned rocket known as Long March 5B is expected to crash on to Earth this weekend as the probability of debris from the rocket hitting humans or damaging building structures is very low.

According to the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), the assessment is based on the fact that 70% of the Earth’s surface consists of water, aside from Malaysia’s small size.

MYSA noted that the exact location of the rocket debris, expected to crash on re-entry, had still not been accurately predicted and said it will update developments from time to time.

According to media reports, the debris will form the main segment of the rocket.

“The debris from the rocket is still orbiting and descending, approaching the ‘re-entry zone’,” MYSA said in a statement today.

According to MYSA, each rocket launch will usually leave debris, depending on the size of the rocket launched. Since the size of the Long March 5B is quite large, the debris that is likely to crash on to Earth would also be large.

However, MYSA said most of the rocket’s segment will be destroyed by burning up in the atmosphere and shatter into small fragments. Only the fragments that had not been completely burned will fall on the Earth’s surface.

As such, MYSA advised the public not to touch or pick up any suspicious objects or inhale vapours emitted from suspected debris of the rocket.

The agency also advised the public to call the 999 emergency line or MYSA at 03-26972570 and lodge a report if they witness any incidents and to record them to assist in the investigation and not to spread any false information.

MYSA added that the Long March 5B was not the largest man-made object to fall on to Earth. The previous record involved the 120-tonne Russian-owned Mir space station on March 23, 2001.

In comparison, the residual weight of the Long March 5B rocket is expected to be in the 21-tonne range, according to the statement.

The Long March 5B rocket was launched on April 29 to send the core module of China’s Tianhe space station, weighing 22.6 tonnes, into its operational orbit in space.