Substantial chance that rocket debris will fall into busy flight path, researchers say
The IndependentSign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy There is a one in four chance that a rocket debris could fall into a busy flight path, according to a new study. Last year, there were 258 successful rocket launches and a record 120 uncontrolled re-entries by rockets – and there are more than 2,300 rocket bodies still in orbit. Each year, there is only a one in 430,000 chance that a rocket will actually collide with a plane, the researchers say. And this was a situation where we had good information about where the rocket debris was likely to come down, which is not the case for uncontrolled debris re-entering the atmosphere from orbit.” The researchers say that the space industry should act on that risk, ensuring that their rockets are built to come back down in a controlled way and splash safely into the ocean.
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