The main stage of a Long March 5B (CZ-5B) rocket stage which was used to launch the Wentian module to the Chinese Space Station on 24 July, safely fell back to Earth on 30 July at circa 1645 GMT. The re-entry, while safely achieved, caused international controversy as it is yet another Chinese “uncontrolled re-entry” of its rocket stages, technically offering up a small risk to property and life should a populated area be struck. In the event, the debris from the 18 metric ton stage that survived re-entry was reported by China as falling harmlessly into the Sulu Sea, near the Philippines at an estimated location of 9.1 degrees North 119.0 degrees East. The fiery re-entry was apparently seen in Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia. Some debris is reported to have landed there and in Kalimantan, Indonesia/ No casualties or property damage were reported.
Launch of Wentian module to the Chinese Space Station. Courtesy: Xinhua
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was especially critical about the lack of warning. He noted on Twitter: The People’s Republic of China did not share specific trajectory information as their Long March 5B rocket fell back to Earth. All spacefaring nations should follow established best practices, and do their part to share this type of information in advance to allow reliable predictions of potential debris impact risk, especially for heavy-lift vehicles, like the Long March 5B, which carry a significant risk of loss of life and property. Doing so is critical to the responsible use of space and to ensure the safety of people here on Earth.
According to the Space Liability Convention (1972), a launching state, in this case China, would be liable for any third party damage caused by any of its launched objects.
Post script: The fear of falling satellites is Keraunothnetophobia. The fear of falling rockets or human-made spacecraft is Roketaphobia. The latter is much more likely especially during the launch phase with falling stages being known to kill individuals.
meteor spotted in kuching! #jalanbako 31/7/2022 pic.twitter.com/ff8b2zI2sw
— Nazri sulaiman (@nazriacai) July 30, 2022
