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Two booster rockets used in China’s satellite launch on December 25, 2023 fell back to Earth and exploded near a populated area. Photo/X/Live Science
BEIJING – Two booster rockets used in China’s satellite launch on December 25 2023 fell back to Earth and exploded near a populated area. The terrible moment was caught on camera and circulated widely on social media.
The China National Space Agency launched two satellites into orbit on December 25, 2023 at 22:26 local time. The Long March 3B rocket carrying two satellites was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province.
Both satellites were successfully sent to medium Earth orbit (MEO), but the Long March 3B multistage side-launch booster rocket crashed back to Earth. SpaceNews.com reported that the booster rocket crashed and exploded in the Guangxi region, southern China.
A recorded video shared on X (Twitter) by space journalist Andrew Jones, originating from Weibo, appears to show one of the boosters crashing in a forested area. The video records the explosion from the falling booster rocket.
“The presence of reddish brown gas or smoke indicates nitrogen tetroxide. “Meanwhile, the yellowish gas is probably due to the asymmetrical mixing of dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) fuel with air,” SpaceNews said, quoted by SINDOnews from the Live Science page, Wednesday (3/1/2024).
According to SpaceNews, the Long March 3B’s first stage and four-stage booster rocket use a hypergolic propellant combination of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. “Both nitrogen tetroxide oxidizers and UDMH fuel pose serious health risks,” wrote SpaceNews.
This is not the first time a rocket booster associated with a Chinese satellite launch has reportedly crashed near a populated area. In 2019, a booster that provided thrust for liftoff then separated from the main stage, falling back to Earth after launch and destroying a house.
China has also been repeatedly criticized for allowing its massive Long March 5 rocket to fall back to Earth naturally. Even though it has caused space debris to arise, after the launch of a massive launch system.
China has launch sites on land, not on the coast which would allow rocket debris to land in the ocean. Public notices and evacuations were issued before the rocket launch to warn residents of the potential risks from rocket debris.
(wib)