Scotrail314209
Established Member
Given the fact that there is currently a large piece of a rocket tumbling back to earth, with no firm estimate of where it will hit, as well as it being rather large, I have to ask.
Since this isn't the first time something like this has happened, should it be a warning that nations should take particular care when firing things into orbit, as well as controlling the debris? As space exploration continues and more things fire into orbit, the risk of something catastrophic remains greater.
Since this isn't the first time something like this has happened, should it be a warning that nations should take particular care when firing things into orbit, as well as controlling the debris? As space exploration continues and more things fire into orbit, the risk of something catastrophic remains greater.
Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth
Tracking radars are following closely the gradual fall to Earth of a large Chinese rocket vehicle.
www.bbc.co.uk
Debris from a Chinese rocket is expected to fall back to Earth in an uncontrolled re-entry this weekend.
The main segment from the Long March-5b vehicle was used to launch the first module of China's new space station last month.
At 18 tonnes it is one of the largest items in decades to have an undirected dive into the atmosphere.
There is also a rather helpful graphic on that article which shows New York, Lagos, Rio, Beijing and Sydney being in it's path.The US on Thursday said it was watching the path of the object but currently had no plans to shoot it down.
"We're hopeful that it will land in a place where it won't harm anyone," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. "Hopefully in the ocean, or someplace like that."
Various space debris modelling experts are pointing to late Saturday or early Sunday (GMT) as the likely moment of re-entry. However, such projections are always highly uncertain.