Chinese seize space debris being towed by Filippino sailors
According to Filippino Navy officials, after their sailors had captured and was towing a piece of space floating rocket debris back to shore, the Chinese Coast Guard arrived and forcibly seized it, cutting the tow line.
As they were traveling back to the island, “they noticed that a China coast guard vessel with bow number 5203 was approaching their location and subsequently blocked their pre-plotted course twice,” Carlos said in a statement.
The Chinese coast guard vessel then deployed an inflatable boat with personnel who “forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line” attached to the Filipino sailors’ rubber boat. The sailors decided to return to their island, Carlos said, without detailing what happened.
Chinese officials denied this, saying they took possession after a “friendly consultation.”
Whether or not the Chinese took this debris by force or not, the fact remains that it existed, indicating once again that China is dropping rocket parts indiscriminately on other nations. In this case the debris probably came from either a first stage or a strap-on booster, released shortly after the launch from a low enough altitude that it doesn’t burn up in the atmosphere.
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According to Filippino Navy officials, after their sailors had captured and was towing a piece of space floating rocket debris back to shore, the Chinese Coast Guard arrived and forcibly seized it, cutting the tow line.
As they were traveling back to the island, “they noticed that a China coast guard vessel with bow number 5203 was approaching their location and subsequently blocked their pre-plotted course twice,” Carlos said in a statement.
The Chinese coast guard vessel then deployed an inflatable boat with personnel who “forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line” attached to the Filipino sailors’ rubber boat. The sailors decided to return to their island, Carlos said, without detailing what happened.
Chinese officials denied this, saying they took possession after a “friendly consultation.”
Whether or not the Chinese took this debris by force or not, the fact remains that it existed, indicating once again that China is dropping rocket parts indiscriminately on other nations. In this case the debris probably came from either a first stage or a strap-on booster, released shortly after the launch from a low enough altitude that it doesn’t burn up in the atmosphere.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
What will happen when some of this Chinese rocket debris lands in an inhabited area and incidentally kills one or more people? Basically nothing. There may be a few harsh diplomatic letters written and some strong rhetoric but that will be about all. They won’t even expel the Chinese ligation.
I kind of hope it lands in some ranch in the desert near Area 51 and someone can make a tourist attraction out of it.
We and everyone else (Looking at you Japan, Australia, Europe ..etc) had better be preparing for “friendly consultations” with the PRC.
Perhaps sending all those HIMARS (and other equipment) to Ukraine without strong ability to rebuild and restock is not such a seriously good idea, I wonder if over using our stocks in “such a noble cause” only to find them inadequate when WE need them could be a dastardly plan to weaken America from within – nah can’t be.
Or maybe we can sit and watch “the show” as China claims Vladivostok and part of Siberia. I wonder which Xi will choose. – or both?
Joe Stalin wanted the Germans and the rest of Europe to expend themselves in war before he would come in and take Europe from the exhausted victors. Germany toppling France in what, weeks foiled that plan. I wonder, is Xi is watching the Ukraine situation like this?
The Chinese coast guard vessel didn’t randomly stumble across the towed debris. They must be tracking it where it lands and actively recovering it. That doesn’t bode well for debris that lands in economic zones or territorial waters. Especially in they do it in a “friendly consultation” manner.
Stop littering you jerks!