[UPDATED] You Only Die Twice (redux): the unusual and confusing double reentry of a ZQ-3 upper stage (2025-282A)

Click map to enlarge ( The title of this blogpost is inspired by a similar titled post from several years ago ) The uncontrolled reentry of a large (assumed 7-8 ton weight) Chinese ZQ-3 (Zhuque-3) upper stage, 2025-282A (catnr. 66877), on 30 January 2026 for some reason created quite some public attention, especially in Europe. But the event became decidedly unusual when, nine hours after the US…