The Chang Zheng 2D “Long March” rocket’s second stage was reported to have been destroyed over Texas on March 8 by the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) News. USNI News states the debris field may be miles broad and hundreds of miles long.
Two defense officials confirmed on Thursday that the rocket shattered after slicing through the sky above Texas at 17,000 miles per hour. The stage was a piece of space debris in low earth orbit before its unforeseen descent, according to NORAD satellite tracking data.
It reentered Earth’s atmosphere over southern North America at around 8:30 a.m. on March 7th, according to a statement from SPACECOM, according to the Messenger post.
It was considered an unplanned re-entry because its orbit did not degrade and descend on its own, rather than being directed. The necessity for improved international standards addressing high-risk uncontrolled reentries is reinforced by this kind of activity.
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Chang Zheng 2D Rocket
According to the China National Space Agency, the 8,000-pound Chang Zheng 2D rocket, which is 135 feet long, can deliver cargo to low earth orbit. On June 23, the Y-64 rocket successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in central China, deploying the spy satellites.
According to NORAD tracking data, the stage belonged to a mission that transported three military electronic signals surveillance satellites that were thought to be directed over the South China Sea.
According to the Texas Demographic Center, the debris field spread over several of the state’s least populous counties. US authorities are currently determining whether any debris has fallen to the ground. China has come under fire for unpredictably allowing space junk to enter the atmosphere, endangering population centers. As of the time of this posting, Chinese officials had not acknowledged the unexpected reentry.
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