![]() ![]() ![]() “We argue that recent improvements in technology and mission design make most of these uncontrolled reentries unnecessary, but that launching states and companies are reluctant to take on the increased costs involved,” the paper reads. ![]() And, the extra cost of utilizing those control systems is worth it, from a safety standpoint. The Chinese Long March 5B rocket crashes to Earth in April 2021Īnd, while the technology exists to bring large, ejected sections of spacecraft back through the atmosphere in a controlled manner, the University of British Columbia scientists suggest there is an increasing risk of harm - 10% of one or more casualties in the next decade - from falling space debris coming to those on the ground.Researchers said the two rocket stages were the heaviest objects to reenter in an uncontrolled manner since the Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 space station in 1991. This time, the debris crashed into the Indian Ocean. One year later, another similar piece of rocket debris made an uncontrolled reentry after being used to launch another part of the Tiangong space station into low Earth orbit. Debris from the rocket body, including a 12-meter-long pipe, struck two villages in the Ivory Coast, causing damage to several buildings. On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters that the United States had no plans to shoot it down and was hopeful that it will land in a place where it won't harm anyone.A rocket reentry re-run: There are at least two other instances of spent Chinese rockets falling back to Earth in uncontrolled reentries, noted in an academic paper from a group of University of British Columbia scientists published earlier this month by the Nature Communications journal.Īccording to the research, in May 2020, an 18-metric-ton core stage of another Chinese rocket reentered the atmosphere from orbit in an uncontrolled manner after being used to launch an unmanned experimental crew capsule. To my knowledge, the upper stage of this rocket has been deactivated, which means that most of its parts will burn up upon reentry, making the likelihood of damage to aviation or ground facilities and activities extremely low," he said, according to a translation on the ministry's website. "China is following closely the upper stage's reentry into the atmosphere. It pinpointed an area near the north island of New Zealand as a possible reentry point, but said it could happen anywhere across large parts of the planet.Ĭhinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference Friday that it was "common practice" across the world for the upper stages of rockets to burn up while reentering the atmosphere. The federally-funded research firm The Aerospace Corporation posted a tweet late Friday saying its prediction for landing was eight hours either side of 4:19 GMT time on Sunday morning. The large piece of space junk measures 98 feet long and 16.5 feet wide and it weighs 21 metric tons. The uncontrolled nature of its reentry has left experts concerned about the potential impact it could have when it lands. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lowerīut after completing that task, the body of the rocket is now circling Earth and will soon re-enter the lower atmosphere. Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |