back to article Spent Chinese Long 6A rocket spews over 50 pieces of space junk

The spent Long 6A rocket launching China's Yunhai-3 satellite has broken up, scattering over 50 different chunks into low-Earth orbit after it failed to disintegrate completely upon reentry in the atmosphere. The launch vehicle blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China at 0652 Beijing Time on November 12 ( …

  1. Norman Nescio

    Tome Lehrer, as ever, was prescient

    "Gather 'round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun"

    ...

    "Don't say that he's hypocritical

    Say rather that he's apolitical

    "Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?

    That's not my department" say Wernher von Braun"

    ...

    "You too may be a big hero

    Once you've learned to count backwards to zero

    "In German, oder Englisch, I know how to count down

    Und I'm learning Chinese!" says Wernher von Braun"

    Tom Lehrer, That was the year that was.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Tome Lehrer, as ever, was prescient

      I reach for the Stars - but sometimes hit London

  2. NoneSuch Silver badge
    Devil

    Well, if the Chinese PRC say something, then it must be true. It's illegal to disagree with them and as I'm visiting Hong Kong soon, it's 100% truth.

    No sarcasm (*coff*) whatsoever.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So, like working at Twitter?

      1. The commentard formerly known as Mister_C Silver badge

        Long March vs Long Shifts

  3. JohnTill123
    Big Brother

    Why should they care?

    As far as the PRC is concerned:

    1. If it falls in the ocean: No problem.

    2. If it falls on land in a foreign country: Not OUR problem. No problem.

    3. If it falls in China on uninhabited land: No-one got hurt. No problem.

    4. If it falls in China and kills anyone: We have plenty more people where they came from and we control the media and all communications. No problem.

    So why should they care?

    From a talk i heard many years ago from a lead scientist who was there: Back in the late 1970s, China was very interested in nuclear power and came to Canada. Canada wanted to sell them CANDU reactors and the Chinese wanted Canada to give them the technology for free. Needless to say, no deal was struck back then. But Canadian reactor designers and engineers went over to China to see their research facilities. On one wall was bunch of pipes and machinery that was obviously very hot: When they asked what it was, they were told it was a prototype for the LIQUID SODIUM coolant handling for a fast breeder reactor. There were no safety measures: Just right out in the open in the open air. No shields, not even a fire extinguisher. One tiny leak and they would have devastated the entire area.

    The Canadian guys got away from that thing fast and asked how they could do that. The response was oblique, but along the lines of "the cultural revolution has only been over for a short while, so if these scientists die in an accident there's still plenty of scientists out in the paddies picking rice who we can get".

    Makes you think...

    1. Al fazed
      Facepalm

      Re: Why should they care?

      Sounds like Twitter, Apple, Amazon, etc.

      I do not see western govermins doing anything differently, mainly because they prefer to NOT let us see.

      ALF

      1. Casca Silver badge

        Re: Why should they care?

        Sure, you keep believing that...

  4. Claptrap314 Silver badge

    Always relucant

    to ditch the hunny, I see...

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