14.08.2024, 11:25
China has acknowledged the destruction of the Changzheng-6A rocket in space
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Chinese authorities have publicly acknowledged for the first time that the Changzheng-6A rocket (Chang Zheng 6A, Long March 6A) collapsed in space as a result of an explosion and left space debris in orbit, Bloomberg reports.
Changzheng-6A was launched on August 6 from the Taiyuan Cosmodrome in Shanxi Province in northern China. The launch vehicle launched 18 Internet satellites into low Earth orbit, at an altitude of 800 km. Shortly after that, as reported by the American company Slingshot Aerospace, which is engaged in tracking outer space, the upper stage of the rocket collapsed, creating a cloud of about 50 debris. The destruction was confirmed by the US Air Force Space Command, which counted 300 pieces of debris. They added that so far they do not pose a threat to other vehicles in orbit.
As Bloomberg notes, Chinese state media, covering the launch, did not report the incident, but the news spread on social networks and on popular sites. Now the Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed to the agency that the rocket has collapsed. The ministry said that China has "taken the necessary measures", is closely monitoring the orbit and is analyzing the data.They pointed out that Beijing "attaches great importance to the fight against space debris" and promotes the protection of outer space from it.
Bloomberg writes that Changzheng-6A has become one of the largest sources of space debris in decades. This is not the first incident involving this rocket: in July, the Swiss company S2a discovered a lot of debris after two Tianhui 5-02 Earth remote sensing satellites were launched into orbit.
According to LeoLabs employee Darren McKnight, in the early years of space exploration, the United States and the Soviet Union left the most garbage, but in the last 20 years, about 60% has been accounted for by China. The analyst considers the statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry to be an important step, as it indicates Beijing's readiness to play a role in protecting outer space.
Changzheng-6A was launched on August 6 from the Taiyuan Cosmodrome in Shanxi Province in northern China. The launch vehicle launched 18 Internet satellites into low Earth orbit, at an altitude of 800 km. Shortly after that, as reported by the American company Slingshot Aerospace, which is engaged in tracking outer space, the upper stage of the rocket collapsed, creating a cloud of about 50 debris. The destruction was confirmed by the US Air Force Space Command, which counted 300 pieces of debris. They added that so far they do not pose a threat to other vehicles in orbit.
As Bloomberg notes, Chinese state media, covering the launch, did not report the incident, but the news spread on social networks and on popular sites. Now the Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed to the agency that the rocket has collapsed. The ministry said that China has "taken the necessary measures", is closely monitoring the orbit and is analyzing the data.They pointed out that Beijing "attaches great importance to the fight against space debris" and promotes the protection of outer space from it.
Bloomberg writes that Changzheng-6A has become one of the largest sources of space debris in decades. This is not the first incident involving this rocket: in July, the Swiss company S2a discovered a lot of debris after two Tianhui 5-02 Earth remote sensing satellites were launched into orbit.
According to LeoLabs employee Darren McKnight, in the early years of space exploration, the United States and the Soviet Union left the most garbage, but in the last 20 years, about 60% has been accounted for by China. The analyst considers the statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry to be an important step, as it indicates Beijing's readiness to play a role in protecting outer space.
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