Two rocket boosters used in a Chinese satellite launch on
Dec. 25, 2023 fell back to Earth and exploded near inhabited areas, chilling videos show.
Rocket debris from China's recent satellite launch fell to ground near inhabited areas, where bystanders caught the fiery touchdown on tape.
The China National Space Administration launched two satellites into orbit on Dec. 25, 2023 at 10:26 p.m. EST (0326 GMT Dec. 26 or 11:26 a.m. local time in China) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. The Long March 3B rocket carried two satellites for China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System, which is roughly equivalent to the GPS system used in North America.
While the
satellites were successfully delivered into medium Earth orbit (MEO), side boosters of the
Long March 3B multistage launch vehicle fell back to Earth and landed in South China's Guangxi region, SpaceNews.com+
reported.
This is
not the first time rocket boosters associated with Beidou satellite launches have reported to fall near inhabited areas. In 2019, a booster — which provides the necessary thrust for lift-off and then separates from the main stage —
fell back to Earth after launch and destroyed a home, according to reports.China has also been criticized many times for allowing the massive Long March 5 rocket to fall back to Earth naturally, causing space debris, following launches of the heavy-launch system.
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/watch-a-chinese-rocket-booster-fall-from-space-and-explode-near-a-house-in-southern-china