Chinese launch vehicle returns to Earth uncontrolled: US officials

A Chinese launch vehicle returned to Earth uncontrolled on Saturday, US Defense Department officials said, as they chastised Beijing for failing to share information about the potentially dangerous object’s descent.

The US Space Command “can confirm that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Long March 5B (CZ-5B) reentered over the Indian Ocean at approximately 10:45 a.m. MDT on July 30,” the U.S. Military Unit on Twitter. Referring to the official name of China.

“We refer you to the #PRC for more details on the technical aspects of reentry, such as:

The Long March 5B rocket was used last Sunday to launch an unmanned spacecraft called Wentian, carrying the second of three modules China needs to complete its new Tiangong space station.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson criticized Beijing on Twitter on Saturday, saying the failure to share the details of the rocket’s descent was irresponsible and risky.

“All spacefaring nations should follow established best practices and do their part in sharing this type of information in advance,” Nelson wrote, “to enable reliable predictions of the potential risk of debris impact, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles like the Long March 5B.” , which pose a significant risk of loss of life and property.”

He added: “This is critical to the responsible use of space and to keeping people safe here on Earth.”

The Tiangong Space Station is one of the crown jewels of Beijing’s ambitious space program, which has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China only the third nation to put humans into orbit.

The new module, powered by the Long March 5B, successfully docked with Tiangong’s core module on Monday, and the three astronauts who have lived in the main compartment since June successfully entered the new laboratory.

China has poured billions of dollars into space and exploration to build a program that reflects its position as a rising world power.