MANILA: Debris from a Chinese rocket launched early Wednesday morning (Dec 31) may fall in the waters north of Luzon, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) warned.
PhilSA said China launched a Long March 7A rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan at around 6:40 a.m. Philippine time.
PhilSA identified two drop zones within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone – one west of the Ilocos region and another east of Cagayan Valley.
The first drop zone was plotted approximately 45 nautical miles (nm) north-west of Burgos, Ilocos Norte, and 67 nm west of Dalupiri Island, Cagayan; while the second drop zone is around 64 nm north-east of Santa Ana, Cagayan, and 76 nm east of Camiguin Norte.
Hence, PhilSA warned of unburned debris that may pose hazards to dangerous to maritime vessels and aircraft in the vicinity of the identified drop zones.
“Unburned debris from rockets, such as the booster and fairing, are designed to be discarded as the rocket enters outer space. While not projected to fall on land features or inhabited areas, falling debris poses danger and potential risk to ships, aircraft, fishing boats, and other vessels that will pass through the drop zone,” PhilSA said in a statement.
PhilSA also advised the public not to come close or retrieve the debris that may wash up in nearby coasts from the drop zones as it may contain toxic substances. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
