---
title: "Secretary of Defense: We Will Not Shoot Down Plummeting Chinese Deathrocket"
description: "As a Chinese rocket plummets to Earth after launching a space station module, the US military is taking a bold \"wait and see what happens\" plan of attack."
date: "2021-05-06"
modified: "2021-05-06"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/secretary-defense-shoot-chinese-rocket"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "reentry"
  - "space"
  - "space debris"
  - "the digest"
---

# Secretary of Defense: We Will Not Shoot Down Plummeting Chinese Deathrocket

![As a Chinese rocket plummets to Earth after launching a space station module, the US military is taking a bold "wait and see what happens" plan of attack.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/secretary-defense-shoot-chinese-rocket.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: CCTV\</em\>*

## Your Move

As a Chinese Long March 5B rocket [hurtles back down to Earth](<https://futurism.com/oops-more-huge-chinese-space-debris-is-tumbling-back-to-earth>) after ferrying part of China's new space station into orbit, it could potentially become one of the largest pieces of space debris ever to make an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Responding appropriately, the US military announced a bold plan of action to mitigate the damage.

The mission? Wait and see what happens.

"We don’t have a plan to shoot down Chinese rocket. We hope it lands somewhere where it doesn’t harm anyone," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, [according to *Space News* writer Sandrea Erwin](<https://twitter.com/Sandra_I_Erwin/status/1390364996937428992>).

## Pray for a Splash

Uncontrolled reentries aren't unheard of — China's space program has [experienced quite a few](<https://futurism.com/chinese-rocket-plummeting-sky>) at this point — but they do pose a notable hazard to us mere Earthlings going about life down below.

Of course, the odds that you get struck by a falling rocket part are *astronomically* (sorry) low, but that doesn't mean that the debris won't be able to cause some serious damage to whatever it does happen to hit.

"There should be a requirement to operate in a safe and thoughtful mode \[in space\]," Austin added, according to Erwin.

**More on the rocket:** *[Oops, More Huge Chinese Space Debris Is Tumbling Back to Earth](<https://futurism.com/oops-more-huge-chinese-space-debris-is-tumbling-back-to-earth>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)