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posted by martyb on Sunday January 09 2022, @02:14PM   Printer-friendly
from the rain-drops^W^W-rockets-keep-falling-on-my-head dept.

A big failed Russian rocket just came crashing back to Earth out of control:

A Russian rocket fell to a watery resting place on Wednesday after an uncontrolled reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

The Persei booster was launched on Dec. 27 by the heavy-lift Angara-A5 rocket for a test mission. However, the upper-stage booster failed to enter the Earth's orbit as planned. Instead, it began inevitably being pulled back toward the atmosphere by Earth's gravity for an expected return to the surface in bits and pieces (if at all) on Wednesday afternoon, Pacific time.

[...] "I do NOT regard this object as a significant risk," leading orbit watcher and astronomer Jonathan McDowell said on Twitter.  "Reentries for a object with dry mass of about 4 tonnes may see some debris reach the ground, but not much."

The rocket is thought to have weighed around 20 tons, but over 75% of that mass would have been in fuel that almost certainly would have burned up in the atmosphere.

The 18th Space Control Squadron of the US Space Force confirmed that the rocket reentered over the Pacific Ocean just after 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday.


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  • (Score: 0, Redundant) by tangomargarine on Sunday January 09 2022, @06:40PM (5 children)

    by tangomargarine (667) on Sunday January 09 2022, @06:40PM (#1211285)

    Instead, it began inevitably being pulled back toward the atmosphere by Earth's gravity for an expected return to the surface in bits and pieces (if at all) on Wednesday afternoon, Pacific time.

    What the fuck is this supposed to mean? Like that one Hitchhiker's Guide book where Arthur Dent learns to fly by falling and missing the ground?

    It's going to inevitably hit the surface one way or the other; just staying floating in the air somewhere isn't an option.

    --
    "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 09 2022, @08:22PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 09 2022, @08:22PM (#1211307)

    Some things burn up on reentry, but agreed on weird wording.

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 09 2022, @08:47PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 09 2022, @08:47PM (#1211312)

    lucky it did not turn into a bowl of pettunias then, that would have got you really riled.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 10 2022, @12:00AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 10 2022, @12:00AM (#1211353)

      Oh no, not again.

  • (Score: 2) by martyb on Wednesday January 12 2022, @12:38AM (1 child)

    by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday January 12 2022, @12:38AM (#1211977) Journal

    That was a direct quote from original story [cnet.com].

    Maybe you want to take it up with the author [cnet.com]?

    --
    Wit is intellect, dancing.
    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday January 12 2022, @02:18AM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Wednesday January 12 2022, @02:18AM (#1211997)

      Is that supposed to surprise me? Yes, I have an issue with the original author.

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"