📷 Image Credits: India Today
Part of a Long March 2-C rocket carrying a satellite, jointly launched by China and France on Saturday, fell back to Earth close to a residential area and exploded immediately after the launch. The spacecraft, with the satellite dubbed Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM), lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre at 3.00 am on June 22 (local time). Shortly after liftoff, a part of the rocket, which is said to be a booster, fell back to Earth.
A video of the incident circulating on social media shows the rocket falling onto a populated area, causing panic as people ran for cover. The Long March 2C uses a hypergolic mixture of nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), which are toxic to humans. Several people on the internet expressed concern over the inhalation of these toxic substances.
However, Chinese authorities declared the mission a success, confirming that the satellite, the most powerful yet for studying the farthest explosions of stars, successfully reached orbit. According to China’s National Space Administration, the satellite’s mission is to study celestial phenomena, including gamma-ray bursts. It is expected to play a crucial role in advancing astronomical discoveries, Reuters reported.
This marks the first astronomy satellite jointly developed by China and France, highlighting Beijing’s growing prowess in space and lunar exploration, which has attracted collaboration from European and Asian partners. Earlier this month, China announced that its Chang’e-6 lunar probe transferred samples collected from the moon’s far side to a spacecraft in lunar orbit. The unmanned spacecraft is scheduled to return to Earth, possibly on June 25, potentially making China the first country to retrieve lunar matter from the moon’s permanently far side.
