世界がオリンピックに沸いていた最中、起きていた事故。
最近の宇宙開発には違和感を感じます。更なる事故につながらないといいですが・・・
Chinese Rocket Breaks Up in Space, Releasing Hundreds of Debris Pieces
Experts say a Chinese rocket that recently helped launch 18 satellites broke apart in space and created hundreds of pieces of debris.
Space traffic observation organizations said data showed part of a Chinese rocket came apart soon after making the satellite deployments. State media in China reported the satellites were carried to space aboard a Long March-6 rocket and reached orbit on August 6.
The satellites are part of a Chinese government-backed effort that seeks to provide high-speed internet services to people around the world. Such satellites operate from between 300 and 2,000 kilometers above Earth. The area is known as low Earth orbit.
The project is expected to become a competitor to American technology company SpaceX, which offers its own satellite-based internet service. SpaceX has so far deployed about 5,500 satellites for its Starlink service, Reuters news agency reports.
Several groups that continuously observe satellite and spacecraft traffic said the Chinese rocket stage that broke apart in space created at least 700 pieces of debris. The floating debris is also known as space junk. It can harm active spacecraft, other satellites and even the International Space Station (ISS).
The group that launched the satellites is state-financed Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. The company did not answer requests from Reuters for comment about the situation.
Some experts said the high level of debris had placed more than 1,000 satellites and other orbiting objects at risk.
U.S. space-tracking company LeoLabs told Reuters it estimates the number of debris pieces created is likely over 900. The collection of debris sitting about 800 kilometers above Earth’s surface is expected to last several years, LeoLabs added.
Experts said it was not clear whether the rocket body's breakup was caused by a crash into another object or by an explosion of unused rocket fuel. The U.S. Space Command said early on in the event that at least 300 pieces of debris had been created.
Audrey Schaffer is the vice president of strategy at space-tracking company Slingshot Aerospace. She told Reuters her team had estimated over 1,100 satellites and other space objects were likely at risk of hitting the Chinese rocket debris.
Schaffer noted, however, that about one-third of at-risk objects are active spacecraft and could probably move out of the way. The rest are believed to be uncontrollable pieces of existing space junk that would have no way of avoiding new debris.
In 2022, a Long March 6A rocket stage similarly broke apart in space and created hundreds of pieces of debris. That event led to criticism of China from Western countries and space sustainability campaigners. The groups have called on China to establish better controls for how it retires used rocket bodies.
"It's disappointing that the rocket had the same issue again," Schaffer said. She added, "These kinds of debris-generating events that are potentially avoidable should not occur anymore."
Experts say a Chinese rocket that recently helped launch 18 satellites broke apart in space and created hundreds of pieces of debris.
Space traffic observation organizations said data showed part of a Chinese rocket came apart soon after making the satellite deployments. State media in China reported the satellites were carried to space aboard a Long March-6 rocket and reached orbit on August 6.
The satellites are part of a Chinese government-backed effort that seeks to provide high-speed internet services to people around the world. Such satellites operate from between 300 and 2,000 kilometers above Earth. The area is known as low Earth orbit.
The project is expected to become a competitor to American technology company SpaceX, which offers its own satellite-based internet service. SpaceX has so far deployed about 5,500 satellites for its Starlink service, Reuters news agency reports.
Several groups that continuously observe satellite and spacecraft traffic said the Chinese rocket stage that broke apart in space created at least 700 pieces of debris. The floating debris is also known as space junk. It can harm active spacecraft, other satellites and even the International Space Station (ISS).
The group that launched the satellites is state-financed Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. The company did not answer requests from Reuters for comment about the situation.
Some experts said the high level of debris had placed more than 1,000 satellites and other orbiting objects at risk.
U.S. space-tracking company LeoLabs told Reuters it estimates the number of debris pieces created is likely over 900. The collection of debris sitting about 800 kilometers above Earth’s surface is expected to last several years, LeoLabs added.
Experts said it was not clear whether the rocket body's breakup was caused by a crash into another object or by an explosion of unused rocket fuel. The U.S. Space Command said early on in the event that at least 300 pieces of debris had been created.
Audrey Schaffer is the vice president of strategy at space-tracking company Slingshot Aerospace. She told Reuters her team had estimated over 1,100 satellites and other space objects were likely at risk of hitting the Chinese rocket debris.
Schaffer noted, however, that about one-third of at-risk objects are active spacecraft and could probably move out of the way. The rest are believed to be uncontrollable pieces of existing space junk that would have no way of avoiding new debris.
In 2022, a Long March 6A rocket stage similarly broke apart in space and created hundreds of pieces of debris. That event led to criticism of China from Western countries and space sustainability campaigners. The groups have called on China to establish better controls for how it retires used rocket bodies.
"It's disappointing that the rocket had the same issue again," Schaffer said. She added, "These kinds of debris-generating events that are potentially avoidable should not occur anymore."
Words in This Story
debris – n. broken pieces of something
junk – n. material that is no longer working or useful
stage – n. a certain period of development
track – v. to closely follow the movements of something
strategy – n. a plan used to achieve something
sustainable – adj. causing little or no damage to the environment over a period of time
disappoint – v. to fail to fulfill the hopes or expectations of someone
occur – v. to happen
中国のロケットが宇宙空間で破損し、数百個の破片が放出される
専門家によると、最近１８基の人工衛星の打ち上げに貢献した中国のロケットが宇宙空間でばらばらになり、何百個もの破片が発生したと言います。
宇宙交通観測機関は、中国のロケットの一部が衛星を展開させた直後にばらばらになったことを示すデータがあると述べています。中国の国営メディアは、衛星は長征6号ロケットで宇宙に運ばれ、6日に軌道に到達したと報じていました。
この衛星は、世界中の人々に高速インターネット・サービスを提供しようとする中国政府の支援の一環です。このような衛星は、地球上空３００キロから２，０００キロの間で運用されています。このエリアは地球低軌道として知られています。
このプロジェクトは、独自の衛星を使ったインターネット・サービスを提供しているアメリカのテクノロジー企業、スペースX社の競合になると予想されています。ロイター通信によると、スペースX社はこれまでにスターリンク・サービス用に約５５００基の衛星を配備しているます。
衛星や宇宙船の往来を継続的に観測している複数のグループによると、宇宙空間で分解した中国のロケットステージは、少なくとも７００個の破片を作り出したということです。この破片は宇宙ゴミとしても知られています。活動中の宇宙船や他の衛星、さらには国際宇宙ステーション（ISS）にも危害を加える可能性があります。
衛星を打ち上げたのは、国営の上海スペースコム衛星科技です。同社はロイターの取材に答えていません。
一部の専門家は、高レベルのデブリによって１，０００以上の衛星やその他の軌道上の物体が危険にさらされていると述べます。
米国の宇宙追跡会社レオラボ（LeoLabs）はロイターに、デブリの数は900個以上になるだろうと推定していると語った。地球の表面から約800キロ上空にある破片の集まりは、数年間続くと予想される、とレオラボ社は付け加えた。
※レオラボLeoLabs:Leolabsと商用伊藤忠商事は相互のパートナーシップを拡大
専門家によると、ロケット本体の破壊が他の物体への衝突によるものか、未使用のロケット燃料の爆発によるものかは明らかではないとしています。米国宇宙司令部は、この出来事の初期に、少なくとも３００個の破片が生じたと述べています。
オードリー・シャファー氏は、宇宙追跡会社スリングショット・エアロスペース社の戦略担当副社長です。彼女はロイターに対し、彼女のチームが推定したところでは、１，１００以上の人工衛星やその他の宇宙物体が、中国のロケットの破片に衝突する危険性があったと語っています。
しかし、シャファー氏は、危険な物体の約３分の１は活動中の宇宙船であり、おそらく邪魔にならない場所に移動できるだろうと指摘しました。残りは、既存の宇宙ゴミの制御不能な破片であり、新たなデブリを避ける方法がないと考えられています。
２０２２年、長征6Aロケットのステージが同様に宇宙空間で分解し、何百もの破片を生み出しました。この出来事は、欧米諸国や宇宙の持続可能性を訴える運動家から中国への批判を招きました。これらの団体は中国に対し、使用済みのロケット本体を廃棄する方法について、より良い管理体制を確立するよう求めています。
「ロケットが再び同じ問題を起こしたことは残念です」とシャファー氏は語っています。彼女はこう付け加えます。「回避可能なデブリを発生させる可能性のあるこの種の出来事は、これ以上起こるべきではありません。」
