(Beijing) Last Thursday the Chinese launched into space the the core module of its Tianhe space station a project that is expected to be completed by 2022 with an outpost about a quarter of the size of the International Space Station (ISS).
In order to get the 22 tonne core module into low orbit the Chinese used the biggest rocket in their inventory , the Long March 5. which left the 30-metre high core of the Long March 5B floating in space awaiting reentry back to earth . The thing is since since 1990 nothing over 10 tonnes has been deliberately left
in orbit to re-enter uncontrolled. The Long March 5B core stage is thought to
be about 21 tonnes and the Chinese have left it to chance where it lands and there lies the problem, because due to its size, it's heat resistant engine parts and its flight path which takes it over as far north as New York, Madrid and Beijing and as far
south as southern Chile and Wellington, New Zealand, and could make its
re-entry at any point within the dark blue area in the graphic below
31%
21%
