China Space Agency Lacks Transparency
As the world continues to explore space, unused satellites and rockets pile outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Additionally, many people from different countries are occupying areas in space, which calls for an additional set of international rules from those set in the 1970s. On March 29, 2023, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson criticized China’s recent reentry from space because China “did not share specific trajectory information which is needed to predict landing zones and reduce risk” with other countries [1]. With help from other countries, the rocket could have landed in a more controlled environment. This is important because uncontrolled reentries of rockets launched by China in recent years have raised safety concerns and prompted calls for additional established norms of behavior for space-faring nations [1].
Like general international laws, space also has laws that govern what countries can and cannot do in space. The Liability Convention, a convention set by the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs, noted in its fundamental principles (enforced in 1972 and still used today) that “a launching State shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage caused by its space objects on the surface of the Earth or to aircraft, and liable for damage due to its faults in space” [2].
Nelson explained that China had conducted multiple space missions that could have been more successful. As an example, Nelson said there were times when China did not reserve enough fuel, and rockets kept tumbling down when they reentered the Earth. Nelson also noted that because of the lack of fuel, and China’s inept ability to share data with other countries, rockets were projected to land in regions different from the designated target zones. Another Chinese space mission went awry when the rocket reentry targeted a landing in Greece or India, both in highly populated areas. Luckily, the rocket ultimately landed in the Indian Ocean [3].
Rockets are not lightweight instruments. The Long March 5B rocket (China’s typical model) weighs about 23 tons. If all 23 tons were to reenter in one piece and land in a populated area, it would cause catastrophic damage and would leave China responsible for those damages.
However, there is some good news about all of this. The Aerospace Corporation, an American nonprofit organization, reports that the odds that people could be harmed by a falling rocket are small (ranging from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 230), and the risk to single individuals is even lower (between 1 in 10 trillion and 1 in 6 trillion) [4]. With the risk of being hit by falling space debris significantly low, people worldwide can breathe a sigh of relief. Though the odds are in our favor, many say we need to work together on technology to better predict the reentries of rogue space debris [3]. Bill Nelson also said, “Space-faring nations must minimize the risks to people and property on Earth of reentries of space objects and maximize transparency regarding those operations” [4].
China currently has invested more time in its space program to catch up with the United States and Russia. China, at the end of 2022, announced that it will establish a lunar base on the southern pole of the moon by 2029 [4].
