Space debris from ‘Chinese rocket’ crashes in India

Mumbai: A 10ft-wide metal ring from a rocket launched into space by China a year ago crashed in an Indian village, Daily Mail reported.

The metal ring was found in a village field in Maharashtra India on Saturday. The District Collector Ajay Gulhane confirmed the discovery of the 10ft metal ring weighing over 40kg.

A large piece of space debris (pictured) that crashed down in rural India over the weekend may be from a Chinese rocket that was launched last year, experts believe

Talking to The Times of India a local woman said “We were preparing a community feast, when the sky blazed with the red disc which fell with a bang on an open plot in the village.”

“People ran to their home fearing (an) explosion and remained inside for nearly half an hour.”

A large metal ball around half a metre in diameter fell in another nearby village, the District Collector to the Press Trust of India.

‘It has been collected for examination. We had sent (junior officials) to every village in the district to find if more parts of objects, if any, are lying scattered,’ he added.

The Timing of the metal ring’s impact is near to the re-entry time for the debris from a Chinse rocket launched in February 2021, an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) official said.

Another ISRO official said “When rocket bodies survive atmospheric re-entry, the rocket parts such as nozzles, rings and tanks can impact on Earth.’

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, tweeted that the ring was consistent with a piece of China’s Long March 3B rocket.

This 3-meter-diameter ring is consistent with being part of the CZ-3B third stage tankage. It was found in Sindewahi (79.6E 20.3N) in eastern Maharashtra. (thanks @DrSachinW for forwarding the image) pic.twitter.com/hppY21nw1v

— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) April 3, 2022