Chinese rocket to slap someone on earth shortly

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/science/china-rocket-crash-long-march-5b.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur
No, you are almost certainly not going to be hit by a 10-story, 23-ton piece of a rocket hurtling back to Earth.
That said, the chances are not zero.

At some point we're gonna have to deal with all the junk we're leaving in space.

To be fair, the Chinese didn't really mean for this booster to go into orbit, even for a little while. But also to be fair, they have a record of not giving a shit about whether what they do inconveniences other people, even to the point of fatalities.

Damn, it mostly burned up in the atmosphere. Parts of it landed in the Indian Ocean southwest east of the Maldives.

Washington DC was in the projected possible debris zone. I was *SO* hoping.

"mostly burned up" - yeah, but it started out at about 20 tons, so the little bit left only weighed how much? 1 ton? That could leave a mark if it hit you.

It seems the Chinese have crap science at both ends of the mission.

Quote :

The six-wheel solar-powered rover, which weighs about 240 kilograms (529 pounds), touched down on Mars on May 15. Its mission is intended to last three months, the Chinese government said, during which time it will search for signs or evidence of ancient life on Mars' surface.