In the Chinese citizens were shocked and seen running for safety after poisonous rocket debris crashed into a crowded area on Saturday. In happened during a joint Sino-French mission to study gamma-ray bursts that was hindered by a booster which fell over into populated area. The Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite was being ferried by the Long March 2C rocket.
The incident occurred when a rocket booster crashed into an area where children and adults were walking along the road, forcing them to run to safety as shown in a video posted on China ‘N Asia Spaceflight’s social media Page X.
The Long March rocket’s use of hypergolic propellant has led many people to question how safe it is given its highly toxic and corrosive properties. This was reflected in comments made about the video.
Another comment criticized how used-up rockets are treated: “They should be so ashamed of themselves. It is absolutely disgusting that they could not care less about anyone else’s safety while disposing of old stages!”
While there were critics, another poster said this: “I’m no rocket scientist, but I think that thing is supposed to go up.”
