Much ado about rocket debris
The problem with the recent incident involving the China rocket is that China has become a favorite whipping boy of xenophobic propagandists of the West.
Daily TribuneThe problem with the recent incident involving the China rocket is that China has become a favorite whipping boy of xenophobic propagandists of the West.
China sent a rocket into space to bring supplies and parts to its space station. After it pierced through the earth's atmosphere, it gets another boost to get the rocket into its targeted orbit and parts were jettisoned and headed back to earth.
Rocket scientists had earlier predicted that it could land anywhere in the waters of Australia and New Zealand or somewhere in Africa.
This is not the first time that rockets are launched into space and parts of their boosters returned to earth either on land or sea. The US, Russia and China are into it and every rocket they sent into space sends debris from its boosters back to earth. Considering that planet earth's surface is about 71 percent water not to mention the glaciers chances are much of the debris will land at sea or lakes. But some had landed in populated areas.
The problem with the recent incident involving the China rocket is that China has become a favorite whipping boy of xenophobic propagandists of the West. Some even went to the extent of warning that 20-ton wayward debris is earth-bound.
One need not be a rocket scientist to know that celestial objects like comets, rockets, and space shapes parts disintegrate the moment these return to earth while re-entering the dense atmosphere.
US and Russian rockets showered small pieces of debris in populated areas which had disintegrated in the re-entry. Propagandists have serious selective amnesia.
The debris found by fishermen and the Philippine Navy is nothing different from what was experienced in the past. Luckily these were found floundering in the contested sea.
That China wanted that piece of garbage back is stirring childish controversy. If the Navy wants publicity don't indulge in the garbage.
Funny but as if on cue here comes a hawk, US Vice President Kamala Harris pledges a picayune to strengthen the defense of the Philippines by adding more EDCA bases in the country.
That to me is a veritable magnet that will not only draw debris from space but nuclear warheads.