Long March 5B stage falls into Indian Ocean
Posted: Sat, May 15, 2021, 9:56 AM ET (1356 GMT)
The core stage of a Chinese rocket reentered May 8, falling into the Indian Ocean. The Long March 5B stage, left in orbit after a launch of a space station module in late April, reentered at about 10:15 pm EDT (0215 GMT May 9), according to US Space Command as well as China's human space flight agency. Debris from the stage fell in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, but there were no reports of any damage. The uncontrolled reentry attracted widespread attention, as well as criticism of the Chinese government for not properly disposing of the stage. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that "China is failing to meet responsible standards" for handling space debris. China is planning two further Long March 5B launches in 2022 to send two experiment modules to its new space station.
The core stage of a Chinese rocket reentered May 8, falling into the Indian Ocean. The Long March 5B stage, left in orbit after a launch of a space station module in late April, reentered at about 10:15 pm EDT (0215 GMT May 9), according to US Space Command as well as China's human space flight agency. Debris from the stage fell in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, but there were no reports of any damage. The uncontrolled reentry attracted widespread attention, as well as criticism of the Chinese government for not properly disposing of the stage. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that "China is failing to meet responsible standards" for handling space debris. China is planning two further Long March 5B launches in 2022 to send two experiment modules to its new space station.
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