Satellite watchdog LeoLaps has warned that a Chinese rocket fired after it has been found dead has a 10 percent chance of crashing after being found dead. The predicted paths of the two dead objects are in danger of colliding in Antarctica. A collision could be catastrophic for future space exploration because it would create a huge cloud in the atmosphere. Experts have previously warned that there are numerous dead satellites in Earth’s orbit.
LeoLaps has warned that two pieces of space debris have a 10 percent chance of colliding in orbit.
Data show that at 1:56 a.m. BST satellites may miss 8 to 43 meters from each other.
But Liolabs said on Wednesday that the miss distance for objects could be just 12 meters because factors cannot affect their flight path and the chances of a collision could change drastically.
Liolaps spokeswoman Mary Devinchenso told Business Insider: “These numbers have not changed significantly. This is a high – risk event.”
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Russia’s Cosmos-2004 satellite and China’s Zhang Zheng 4C rocket have been in orbit for years.
Cosmos-2004 was launched in February 1989 to assist the Soviets in navigation and communications, but has since ceased operations around the southern wards.
Zhang Zheng 4C is a series of rockets used by Beijing for space missions, launched in 2009 and orbiting the northern wards.
The objects have a large composite weight of 2.8 metric tons and are located 600 miles above the Earth’s surface.
But the Aerospace Corporation in California has wiped out Liolaps’ warnings, calculating the risk of a collision between the two objects.
Ted Mulhaft, head of the corporation’s space-debris analysis, calculated that the chances of a collision were only 1 in 23 billion, and that they would lose each other 70 meters away.
He added: “I do not mean to cast any shadow over their process or their sensors or anything else.
“But censors, we hope they’re not going to be affected by the data that is accessible to us.”
Experts have previously flagged space debris as a growing concern, with scientists warning that it will not be able to conquer the atmosphere.
Current estimates from scientists suggest that about 170 million space debris are still in orbit, with only 22,000 being monitored by experts.
In September, the UK government awarded more than $ 1 million to seven companies to deal with space debris.
Both Timos and Northern Space and Defense will develop optical sensors to monitor space objects from the UK, while Andor in Northern Ireland will upgrade their astronomical camera to detect small-scale debris and map.
