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Chinese rocket static-fire test results in unintended launch and huge explosion (spacenews.com)

submitted 2 months ago by llamacoffee@lemmy.world to c/spaceflight@sh.itjust.works

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[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 28 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Bruh why the fuck are they doing this in the suburbs

[–] teft@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I was thinking the same thing. You can kind of figure out the distance from the time the rocket disappears behind the cloud/hill to the time you hear the explosion in the second video. The rocket disappears at 41 seconds and the explosion is heard at 49.5 seconds. Even if the rocket had hit the ground as soon as it disappeared from sight we're talking 2-3 kilometers away.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Even if the rocket had hit the ground as soon as it disappeared from sight we’re talking 2-3 kilometers away.

That seems uncomfortably close, especially given this statement:

The rocket’s onboard computer automatically shut down the engines and the rocket fell 1.5 kilometers southwest.

I assume they mean 1.5 km from the test stand? If the rocket had flown a bit further, or in a different direction, it could have fallen in what looks to be a rather densely populated area.

[–] Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Wouldn't be the first time. China drops debris and rocket stages on populated areas all the time

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

And rocket fuel, which isn't great for pretty much anything alive.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

rocket fuel, which isn't great for pretty much anything alive

Depends on the rocket fuel.

Methalox: Harmless gases. Methane is a greenhouse gas, but it's not toxic. Basically like a bunch of cows burping.
Kerolox: Kerosene is an oily liquid, so not great for the environment, but not highly toxic.
Hypergolics: Hydrazine derivatives and nitrogen tetroxide are both highly toxic.

The Tianlong-3 in this article uses kerolox. The Long March 2C booster which fell near a village last week uses hypergols.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago

Yeah, primarily hypergolics are the fun ones. I didn't hear about the booster that fell near a village recently, but there was one that I think had an emergency dump over some village or town a few years ago.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 13 points 2 months ago

China is a very small country, obviously.