"Undergirding the PRC's ambitions is a rocket known as the Long March 2, a workhorse of the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA). Recently surfaced videos circulating on social media show the aftermath of a Long March 2 launch, where a rocket booster propelling experimental satellites tumbled back down to Earth and exploded in a massive orange fireball as it impacted the ground."
"Though the fireball was visible from miles away, an English-language Chinese government statement declared the launch a success, planting the test satellite firmly in low earth orbit. Western social media users were broadly incensed, arguing that the uncontrolled booster posed a risk to nearby residents. "Technically not a failure, the sick bastards in the Chinese government just don't care where these land," one poster wrote."
Long March 2 serves as a CNSA workhorse and a recent launch produced videos showing a booster tumbling back to Earth and exploding in a massive orange fireball visible for miles. An English-language Chinese government statement declared the launch a success and said the test satellite reached low Earth orbit. Western social media users expressed anger and safety concerns about the uncontrolled booster and potential risk to nearby residents. A Chinese netizen claimed authorities had evacuated the impact area and made emergency response preparations. Chinese authorities did not notify international bodies before the launch, prompting speculation about a possible spy payload. China aims to land an astronaut on the Moon before 2030, and that ambition has spurred a US return-to-Moon effort begun in 2017.
Read at Futurism
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