Here's what's happening in space this week.
Debris from a massive rocket weighing over 20 metric tons is predicted to make an uncontrolled reentry to Earth this weekend, according to The Aerospace Corporation.
On October 31, an experiment module was carried onboard a Long March 5B rocket to Mengtian, China's Tiangong Space Station. The debris from the rocket's core booster is now expected to crash back into Earth, however, experts are uncertain where it will land.
The Aerospace Corporation is actively tracking the location and projected reentry path of the rocket body, dubbed CZ-5B. Their current estimated date for entry is November 5. They aren't yet able to determine a 'meaningful debris footprint,' however.
Though unusual, this is not the first time a rogue rocket body has made an uncontrolled reentry back to Earth. In fact, another Long March rocket crash-landed off the coast of the Philippines in July.
Similar reentries have also happened over the past few years with no fatalities. According to The Aerospace Corporation, 88 percent of the world's population lives under the rocket's potential reentry path. The uncertainty of the path along with the size of the debris presents a significant risk to communities around the world.
Though there is certainly still a risk that the debris could land in a populated area, statistically, it is more likely to land in the ocean. The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS) will actively update its Twitter with the latest predictions as new data is released.
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