Due to the crash of the remains of a Chinese space rocket, the airspace over parts of Spain was temporarily closed on Friday morning. The airports of Barcelona, Tarragona and Ibiza were affected, Spanish media reported citing civil defense. The measure ended just after 10 a.m. after about 40 minutes, but could cause significant delays throughout the day.
All air traffic at the aforementioned airports was temporarily suspended. According to the Spanish newspaper “El País”, air traffic control had closed a 100-kilometer strip on both sides of the runway.
The reason for the closure of the airspace was a warning from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that part of a Chinese “Long March 5B” missile weighing between 17 and 23 tons flew over the affected parts of the aircraft. Spain could fall. Although the rocket stage partially burns up when it enters Earth’s atmosphere, larger pieces of scrap can still pose a hazard. The space debris came from a rocket that China launched on Monday the last module of its Tiangong space station, which is currently under construction.
Strong criticism of the Chinese approach
The return of major Chinese missile parts to Earth’s atmosphere has repeatedly provoked international criticism. According to official information from Beijing, missile parts fell into the sea near the Philippines in July. Although experts considered the chances of people or populated areas being affected small, NASA and experts criticized the Chinese approach.
“No other country leaves these 20-ton things in orbit to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in an uncontrolled way,” astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics told CNN in July.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
