Chinese Booster Falls Back and Explodes

[Eric Mc]

Interesting footage of what happened when a Chinese rocket stage fell back to earth a couple of days ago.

https://www.space.com/39373-rocket-falls-from-sky-...

[scorp]

Interesting colour of smoke coming out of that.

[CrutyRammers]

Quite surreal to see. Quite a different attitude to NASA's, "scrub the launch, there's a fishing boat within 100 miles of the launch site", having a designated drop zone with people living in it!

[Eric Mc]

I get the feeling that the locals have not been given any sort of instructions regarding what to do if they see a rocket falling out of the sky.

[yellowjack]

Never mind the burning booster falling back at launch!

the linked article also said:

China is anticipating that its uncrewed Tiangong-1 space laboratory will fall to Earth sometime in mid-March. It's possible that pieces of debris from that event will reach the ground intact. The Chinese space agency lost control of the orbiting spacecraft in early 2016.

An out-of-control 9 tonne space laboratory is spinning away somewhere above us, and may crash to earth this year.

I'm off to 'Homes, Gardens, and DIY' to ask about the likely cost of building a bomb shelter...

[Eric Mc]

Their Skylab moment.

[Simpo Two]

Indeed, it's all been done before.

[essayer]

That second video!

"Let's just stand here and film the crashed rocket booster burning"

[Toaster]

Eric Mc said:

I get the feeling that the locals have not been given any sort of instructions regarding what to do if they see a rocket falling out of the sky.

Can't recall our local council informing us what do either and suspect the same is for the rest of the country so not that much different to China

[Eric Mc]

We don't live downrange of a launch site.

[CrutyRammers]

Toaster said:

Can't recall our local council informing us what do either and suspect the same is for the rest of the country so not that much different to China

Classic Toaster point-missing.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

scorp said:

Interesting colour of smoke coming out of that.

Indeed. Now where have I seen that recently....

[Beati Dogu]

Eric Mc said:

I get the feeling that the locals have not been given any sort of instructions regarding what to do if they see a rocket falling out of the sky.

The locals were expecting it, which is why they were all running round excitedly with their cameras running. They get notified of launches beforehand.The authorities "try" to fire over sparcer populated areas, but they'll only evacuate if there's a town in the way.

The problem is the old launch sites are located in more militarily defendable areas, 500 miles or so from the coast. In 2014 they opened the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the island of Hainan, which allows them to fire out over the sea. Newer rockets like the Long March 5 can launch from there, but they're not the most reliable yet. So they continue use the older tried and trusted models like the Long March 3B (which is what crashed here) from the old launch sites.

Edited by Beati Dogu on Tuesday 16th January 22:10

[Eric Mc]

Hard hats should be handed out for free.

I suppose the locals look on it as a fee fireworks display.

[Beati Dogu]

Fairing recovery, Chinese style:



Clever use of a tobacco field to break its fall.

[Toaster]

CrutyRammers said:

Classic Toaster point-missing.

Not really, the people on a flight path may get a launch notification, but a falling booster.....come on how much time would be required its a little different to the Hawaiians getting notification of an incoming IBCM. the speed that thing dropped you probably would not have time to send a text or notify by radio or TV and if you did it would have to be read and action taken.

[Eric Mc]

Beati Dogu said:

Fairing recovery, Chinese style:



Clever use of a tobacco field to break its fall.

Looks like it could be used again. The Chinese have obviously come up with the low cost option.

[Beati Dogu]

It will buff out. I wonder where the other half is.

[Simpo Two]

It seems remarkably undamaged. I wonder if it 'flew', ie glided down?

[GliderRider]

Simpo Two said:

It seems remarkably undamaged. I wonder if it 'flew', ie glided down?

Probably; if you compare it to the shape of NASA's lifting body research vehicles, there's not a lot in it, when you consider its the underside that matters: