ON Sunday (July 31), a flaming object was seen in the sky over Kuching and videos of it went viral. Was the object sighted in the sky over Sarawak a Chinese Long March 5B rocket as has been claimed?
Verdict:
TRUE
The 22.5 tonne core stage of the Long March 5B rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean at approximately 12.45am on Sunday (July 31), according to US space agency Nasa.
"#USSPACECOM can confirm the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Long March 5B (CZ-5B) re-entered over the Indian Ocean at approx 10:45am MDT on 7/30.
"We refer you to the #PRC for further details on the re-entry technical aspects such as potential debris dispersal + impact location," tweeted the US Space Command on Sunday.
The dramatic event was spotted by many people in Sarawak, with videos being uploaded to social media from users from Sibu, Bintulu, Kuching and more.
Many did not realise what they were witnessing, with some even labelling it a "meteorite".
The Malaysian Space Agency (Mysa) had previously said that the debris from the rocket was unlikely to land in Malaysia.
"Due to the strong atmospheric drag to the orbit, the debris is expected to enter the Earth's atmosphere a few days after the launch.
"Basically, the location of the re-entry of the debris can't be predicted accurately until a few hours prior to re-entry and in many cases, there will be a vast difference in the forecast due to the change in the physical characteristics of the object during re-entry, including location and speed," it said in a statement on Friday (July 29).
It added that most of the debris would be burnt during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with only smaller fragments landing on Earth.
The Long March 5B blasted off July 24 to deliver a laboratory module to the new Chinese space station under construction in orbit, marking the third flight of China's most powerful rocket since its maiden launch in 2020.
References: 1. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/07/31/debris-of-chinese-long-march-rocket-spotted-crashing-down-to-earth-over-sarawak-skies
