On Sunday at 2:22 PM Beijing time, a second large Chinese Space Station was launched into orbit, and like before, no one is certain of the location or time of its return.
This flight of the Long March 5B rocket, one of the biggest presently in service, will be a repetition of two prior launches of the same rocket. The 10-story, 23-ton rocket booster will be tracked by observers of space debris for roughly a week after launch as wisps of air friction gradually draw it back down. It is extremely unlikely that it will hit anyone on Earth, but it is still far more likely than many space specialists would consider tolerable.
Chinese Space Station Will Support Experiments
The potent rocket was created especially to launch components of the Chinese Space Station. Wentian, a lab module that will increase the station’s capacity for scientific study, was hoisted during the most recent mission. Additionally, it will increase the number of sleeping quarters for astronauts by three and the airlock available for spacewalks by one.
State media broadcasts emphasize the significance of the space station’s completion and operation to China’s national reputation. However, prior rocket missions have caused considerable reputational damage to the nation. After the initial Long March 5B launch in 2020, the launcher made a second entry over West Africa, with debris hitting settlements in the country of Ivory Coast but inflicting no casualties. The second launch’s rocket splashed down in the Indian Ocean not far from the Maldives in 2021. However, NASA administrator Bill Nelson criticized the Chinese in a statement. He declared, “It is obvious that China is not adhering to responsible rules about their space junk.”
Senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hua Chunying charged that the United States was using “hype.”
An inquiry for an interview regarding the planned launch was not answered by Chinese Space Station authorities.
