A Chinese rocket heading towards Earth could crash in Portugal
It is one of the largest pieces of debris to re-enter the atmosphere in recent years.
Re-entry takes place this weekend.
The Chinese government announced this week that it expects one of its most powerful rockets to re-enter the atmosphere later this week. Beijing says it is an unrestricted re-entry and could even reach Portugal.
According to a document by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published this Thursday, Portugal is in the path of a Chinese space agency rocket that will fall uncontrollably toward Earth. The Long Mark 5B (CZ-5B), weighing 17 to 22 tons, is expected to re-enter the atmosphere between July 30 and 31 and is one of the largest man-made objects to fall in recent years.
The trajectory of the rocket is not defined, so it is not possible to determine exactly where it will fall, but EASA’s calculations indicate that the object could hit Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Malta and Bulgaria, published on July 24. .
The European Union agency advised all airlines to enforce restrictions within a 200-kilometer radius if the object flies over the country. With 70 percent of the planet’s surface covered in water, it’s more likely to fall into the ocean than land — naturally.
The Chinese rocket’s weight is estimated to vary between 17 and 22 tons, making it “one of the largest pieces of debris to re-enter the atmosphere in recent years,” the European agency said. Langa is scheduled to re-enter the wreckage on Sunday, March 31, at 19:39 on mainland Portugal.
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