Toni Dimaano Science 11.06.2022 23:Nov PM EST

Spain's Shutting of Airspace Due to Rocket is Not the First Time There's Been an Issue with China's Space Debris

The uncontrolled remnants of China's Long March 5B crashes to the Earth, forcing Spain to close down their airports as Barcelon and Ibiza get hit by the grounding.

The temporary shutdown of Spain's airspace because of the Chinese rocket's mishap delays around 300 flights, according to Euro News.

The Disintegrated Rocket's Parts Cause Threat To Flights

Debris from the Long March 5B plummeted and plunged into bodies of water on Friday, only four days after the launch of the rocket into space.

The spacecraft went out of control upon reentering the planet's atmosphere, posing risks to four regions in Spain which includes the northeastern region of Catalonia.

Engadget writes that this was the fourth time the rocket went rogue since China's most powerful heavy-lift rocket launched in 2020.

"Due to the risk associated with the passage of the space object CZ-5B through the Spanish airspace, flights have been totally restricted in Catalonia and other communities," Catalonia's emergency service announces.

According to Aena, a Spanish airport operator, 300 flights out of the 5,484 scheduled for operation that day needed to be delayed for safety precaution.

BBC reports that this decision came after the Long March 5B came back from the Tiangong space station with erratic behavior, causing the largest crash in recent years according to the EU Aviation Safety Agency.

The agency's Space Surveillance and Tracking Service, however, assured that the probability of impact in populated areas was low.

Despite this, Spain's national airspace agency still marked a wide exclusion zone on each side of the rocket's orbit ranging for 100 km around.

Italy, Northern Space, and Portugal have also been warned of the crash's trajectory in case it affects some of their areas, according to BCC.

In the end, most debris that came through the atmosphere burned up before it dipped in the Pacific Ocean 1,000 kilometers southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.

This Is Not China's First Encounter With The Problem

While the rocket debris have not caused any injuries or casualties, astronomers continue to wait anxiously for its landing back to the surface.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson had previously criticized China for not following appropriate precautions regarding out of control entries following its Wentian mission in 2021.

Engadget details that Nelson emphasized on the nation's responsibility and transparency in following the best practices for their space activities as uncontrolled reentries can cause damages and deaths.

But, space debris are not problems only exclusive to China and its space crafts, as a piece from the SpaceX Crew Dragon was found in rural Australia by a farmer in August.

SpaceX is a private American aerospace company that also conducts its own missions in space in order to revolutionize space technology.

Despite what happened to the long March 5B, China will reportedly launch another one of its kind again next year to put the Xuntian space telescope into orbit.