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Debris from Chinese rocket falls to earth

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    2nd Aug, 2022

Debris from a rocket that boosted part of China’s new space station into orbit has fallen into the sea in the Philippines.

  • As per the China's space agency, the Chinese rocket debris has crashed to Earth over the Sulu Sea - east of the Philippine Island of Palawan in the north Pacific.

Context

Debris from a rocket that boosted part of China’s new space station into orbit has fallen into the sea in the Philippines.

  • As per the China's space agency, the Chinese rocket debris has crashed to Earth over the Sulu Sea - east of the Philippine Island of Palawan in the north Pacific.

Background

  • In July 2022, China had launched the Long March 5B rocket which carried a lab module to the Tiangong station.
    • This rocket was used to launch the second of three modules China needed to complete its new Tiangong space station.
  • While fulfilling its objective in space, the booster rocket made an uncontrolled return.

About Chinese space station

  • Tiangong is China's new space station.
  • In May 2021, China launched Tianhe, the first of the orbiting space station's three modules.
  • The country aims to finish building the station by the end of 2022.
  • In June 2021, China had launched three astronauts into orbit to begin occupation of the country's new space station.
  • Tiangong will be much smaller than the International Space Station (ISS), with only three modules compared with 16 modules on the ISS.

About International Space Station

  • The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit.
  • Its first component launched into orbit in 1998, and the ISS is now the largest human-made body in low Earth orbit.
  • It circles the Earth in roughly 92 minutes and completes 15.5 orbits per day.
  • The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.
  • Five different space agencies representing 15 countries built the $100-billion International Space Station and continue to operate it today.
  • The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies:
    • NASA (United States)
    • Roscosmos (Russia)
    • JAXA (Japan)
    • ESA (Europe)
    • CSA (Canada)
  • Its ownership and use has been established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.
  • It is expected to operate until 2030.
  • NASA plans to decommission it in 2031.

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