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A launch vehicle crashed near a house in China after launching a satellite

  • December 30, 2023
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Missile debris from China’s latest satellite launch crashed near residential areas, where bystanders filmed the fiery landing. The China National Space Administration launched two satellites into orbit at

A launch vehicle crashed near a house in China after launching a satellite

Missile debris from China’s latest satellite launch crashed near residential areas, where bystanders filmed the fiery landing. The China National Space Administration launched two satellites into orbit at 22:26 ET on Monday, December 25 (03:26 GMT, or 11:26 a.m. China time on December 26) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. The Long March 3B rocket was carrying two satellites for China’s Beidou navigation satellite system, which is roughly equivalent to the GPS system used in North America.

As the satellites were successfully delivered to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), the side thrusters of the Long March 3B multistage launch vehicle retreated to Earth and landed in southern China’s Guangxi region.

Audience footage posted on X by Weibo-based space journalist Andrew Jones apparently shows one of the launch vehicles crashing into a forested area. The explosion is seen in the video. There were also reports of the wreckage of another missile ship that allegedly crashed near the house.

“Both show the presence of a reddish-brown gas or smoke indicating nitrogen tetroxide, while a yellowish gas, likely the result of asymmetric mixing of dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) fuel with air, can also be seen near the building,” SpaceNews reported. . .com.

“The first phase of Long March 3B and its four side boosters use a hypergolic combination of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. Both the nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer and UDMH fuel pose serious health hazards.”

This isn’t the first time rocket boosters have been associated with them. satellite launch Beidou, there have been reports of falls near populated areas. In 2019, it was reported that the launch vehicle, which provided the necessary thrust for takeoff and then separated from the main stage, crashed to Earth after launch, destroying a building.

China has also been repeatedly criticized for allowing its massive Long March 5 rocket to fall to Earth naturally, causing space debris to form after the launch of the heavy rocket system.

China has inland launch sites rather than coastal launch sites that allow missile debris to land in the ocean. Prior to such missile launches, warnings and evacuation notices are issued to warn residents of potential risks from missile debris.

With the 57th and 58th Beidou satellites to be launched, the duo will serve as a backup for the Beidou-3 system, which consists of Near Earth Orbit, Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) satellites, and will reduce operational risks. ). This satellite network provides continuous and stable signal coverage of China’s global navigation systems.

Source: Port Altele

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