US does not “yet” plan to shoot down Chinese rocket out of control

The United States does not have “For now” plans to shoot down China’s Long March 5B rocket, It rolls uncontrollably at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour and is expected to hit the air from Saturday night to Sunday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.

“At the moment, we don’t intend to shoot down the rocket. We hope it makes an impact in a place where it doesn’t harm anyone, like the ocean or another similar place.“Said the head of the Pentagon at a press conference.

The latest prediction is that the rocket will enter the atmosphere at 23:59 GMT on Saturday, with a margin of error of plus or minus 7 hours and 45 minutes, although best estimates can only be made a few hours before re-entry. .

When asked if the United States has the technical capability to shoot down the rocket if necessary, Austin replied that they had the ability to “do a lot of things,” but insisted there are no plans for the rocket at the moment.

Although Austin did not go into details, The United States currently has an ICBM defense system, which are very similar to space rockets, such as the Long March 5B, in terms of capabilities and technology. It is GMD (Ground-Based Midcourse Defense), created by aerospace company Boeing.

GMD is complex and expensive ballistic missile system designed to intercept other ballistic missiles while still in space, that is, halfway between its launch bases and its target. The United States currently has 44 launchers available in the states of Alaska and California, and a large number of radars and command and control stations to direct operations, according to public information provided by Boeing.

Successfully intercepting a missile traveling at around 17,000 miles per hour with a projectile traveling at a similar speed is not easy, however. The success rate, taken from the tests carried out, is currently 56%, although it is estimated that launching at least four interceptor missiles at the same time could reach 97%, as the magazine reports. The Economist.

Criticism of China

During the press conference, the US defense chief also launched a veiled criticism of China, stressing that those who operate in space have a duty to do so “in a safe and thoughtful manner.”

The Long March 5B, which was used last week by China to launch one of the modules of its future space station into space, has an estimated mass of 17 to 21 tons and a size of around 30 meters, making it one of the largest pieces of debris to return to the atmosphere, hence its continued vigilance.

According to the latest forecast, rocket debris that could fall to Earth would do so at some point between parallels 41 north and south, most likely in the Atlantic Ocean, followed by the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

With information from EFE

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