eFM News

[Anchor]

The remains of a Chinese rocket will plunge to Earth sometime this weekend.

A section of the Long March 5B rocket used to deliver part of a Chinese space station into orbit last week is tumbling out of control above the planet.

The United States says it has no current plans to shoot it down.

The BBC's John McManus reports.

[Reporter]

Last week, the Long March 5B rocket safely sent the living quarters of a new Chinese space station into orbit.

Now, parts of the rocket are returning to Earth and experts say large sections will probably not burn up despite streaking through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Given that 70 percent of the Earth is covered by oceans, it's hope the debris will meet a watery end.

But last year, a similar event saw fragments rain down on buildings in the Ivory Coast.

U.S. Space Command is monitoring Long March's trajectory.

But it can't predict yet where the debris will crash land.