Spanish airports go under lockdown as Chinese space rocket crashes on Earth, says report

A number of airports in Spain decided to close their airspace before a Chinese rocket, which allegedly went out of control, crashed on Earth. The rocket was rumoured to be landed in Spain but eventiually ended up in the South Pacific Ocean, Mirror reported.

Spanish air traffic controllers tweeted: "Eurocontrol has informed us about the non-controlled re-entry of a Chinese rocket into the Earth’s atmosphere. Rate Zero has been established for certain parts of Spanish airspace and that could affect air traffic by way of delays and diversions."

Why did Spanish airports go under lockdown?

Due to the fear of collision, all the flights going in and out of Ibiza, Reus, Tarragona, and Barcelona had to be canceled. Several other regions, like Castilla and La Rioja, are said to be affected by this. Marseille, a French airport, is also on high alert.

How long will the restriction last?

In a statement, Catalonia’s Civil Protection Agency said, "There is a high possibility that the space rocket CZ-5B will pass through Spanish airspace, due to which a temporary restriction will be logged to stop all the flights in Catalonia and other nearby places between 9.38 a.m. and 10.18 a.m.

This is not the first time China has done something like this; this will be their fourth rocket crash in two years. The previous crash occurred near the Maldives.

FAQs:

1. Will this crash cause any damage?
   According to Zhai Lijian, the rocket has been designed with unique technology. It allows it to burn and destroy most of its components during its re-entry. This will minimise any possible damage.
2. What does China say about this possible crash?
   Chinese experts claim that this uncontrolled re-entry is a general practise and dismiss any concerns regarding damage, calling it "fake hype media."