China has been told to act more responsibly in space as a 22-ton rocket booster that launched part of its new space station into orbit prepares for an uncontrolled plunge back to Earth.
Astronomers and the US Space Command are tracking the core stage of the Long March 5B rocket body, which is expected to slam into the atmosphere at 18,000mph over the weekend.
“We’re hoping that it will land in a place where it won’t harm anyone,” Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, said. “For those of us who operate in the space domain there’s a requirement — or there should be a requirement — to operate in a safe and thoughtful mode and take those kind of things into consideration.”
Austin said that
