According to the US Defense Department, a large, potentially unregulated portion of a Chinese Long March 5B rocket is falling back to Earth and is supposed to hit sometime on Saturday. Experts caution that it might hit a populated area, but that any debris would most likely fall harmlessly into the water.
According to estimates by Aerospace Corporation, a California-based non-profit organization that runs a space research and development facility, the rocket could reach Earth around 11:30 p.m. EST Saturday.
For the time being, the location remains a mystery. According to Aerospace Corporation’s current estimates as of Saturday morning, a significant swath of the United States — including areas near New York City, Detroit, and San Diego — would be near the rocket’s estimated paths after the expected reentry period.
The Pentagon said in a statement, The final location of the rocket “cannot be pinpointed until within hours of its reentry.”
The Chinese government has stated that the majority of the rocket would burn up during reentry.
