LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Debris from an out-of-control massive Chinese rocket are expected to fall on Earth on Saturday and may affect several European countries. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has warned seven European states to be on alert as debris caused by the 25 tonne rocket will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere between next Saturday and Sunday.
Malta, Italy, France, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Bulgaria have been instructed to put into effect restrictions for a 200km wide area. The debris will fall on Earth in an uncontrolled re-entry and according to space experts, a detailed prediction could be available only a few hours before the impact. However, the probability of it landing in any populated area is extremely low although there is still a possibility for pieces of the rocket to come down over a populated area as happened in May 2020 when properties in Ivory Coast were damaged.
The rocket – a 53 metre long March CZ-5B took off from Hainan Island in China last Sunday and delivered a new module to Tiangong station, Chinàs space station.
NASA called the Chinese Space Agency to design its rockets to disintehrate into smaller pieces upon re-entry, as it is the international norm.
foto: agenziafotogramma.it
(ITALPRESS).
