Rocket fireball over Northwest in late March provides lasting value to space junk sleuths

Stargazers across the Pacific Northwest were treated to quite a light show in late March when the errant reentry of a spent rocket sent fireballs streaking high overhead. The uncontrolled disintegration of the rocket rained debris onto eastern Washington. While the search for mangled rocket parts goes on, the event also provided a great learning opportunity for researchers that could foreshadow a space junk warning system.

A used Chinese rocket predicted to fall out of orbit this weekend could provide a repeat show in lower latitudes -- and again raises concerns about potential debris crashing down over land. The U.S. Space Command said it is aware of and tracking the uncontrolled reentry of the ten-story tall Long March 5B rocket stage, but that "its exact entry point into the Earth’s atmosphere cannot be pinpointed until within hours of its reentry."