Heavenly crisis ... Vinit Vartak ©

 Heavenly crisis ... Vinit Vartak  ©

Last week, a metal ring and some cylinder-like metal parts fell from the sky in Chandrapur district. The video of the incident went viral on social media. Many people from different parts of India filmed the video of these things coming down from the sky like meteorites. From aliens to satellites, many expressed their views. Two ISRO scientists have recently visited the area to study the place where the ring fell and the cylinders found and have started studying the items found. The results of their study will be clear in the coming days. But this incident has brought something new to mind. We have to take care of it.

The satellite part is still being studied in the Chandrapur district. But one thing is for sure, all these parts are man-made. All that remains is to decide which country's rocket or satellite it was. Scientists studying space debris have identified the as the third-stage booster of China's Chang Zheng 3B rocket. The rocket, which was launched in February, was pulled towards the earth by the earth's gravity as it rotated in space close to the earth. Their uncontrolled travel was the cause of what happened that day. This raises two important questions. One is that if this part collapses on a settlement, a house, a building, its serious consequences and the other most important question is the journey from curiosity to crisis.

When a rocket launches a satellite, its parts continue to orbit in the same space as it launches. Exhausted fuel tanks and other parts continue to move around the earth as waste. At some point, they enter the atmosphere after being thrown to the earth. It is expected to be destroyed before falling to the ground due to atmospheric friction. But that is not always the case. Advances in technology have greatly increased the ability of rockets to withstand heat and pressure the metal used in rockets. Also, since these parts are uncontrollable, it is not possible to calculate at what angle and at what speed they will land. So last week's crash is just the beginning. Hundreds of such waste are circulating in space today. Not all of this will hit the ground. But it is impossible to say which part will collide with the earth, when and where. Therefore, this question needs to be addressed at the international level. So that the waste of any country will not harm another country or people.

Another very important question is that after this part fell to the ground, the struggle to quench the curiosity and to take selfies and videos is very serious. We are in a very safe environment on earth. As we go into space, we are hit by different molecular particles from space. That's why you need to protect yourself from such a crisis by wearing a space suit. Just as it hits us, it hits objects in space. Also many molecular objects of these rockets and satellites i.e. coolant, material would have been used. Things that come back to earth from space, also known as space debris, can be life threatening. It is dangerous to hold these debris lying on the ground with bare hands or to spend too much time with them. It may contain alpha particles. Which are extremely dangerous if ingested. Also gamma rays can come out of it. Which you do not see. Therefore, touching any object falling from space or approaching it without proper care can be fatal.

According to one study, at present about 3,000 satellites are orbiting the earth in an uncontrolled manner. More than 34,000 parts of more than 10 cm are roaming in the same space. No one today can calculate which of these satellites or parts will ever enter Earth's orbit and land. Because humans have no control over their speed or orbit. Not all of these parts will reach the earth. But some of these can certainly be reached. The earth has 71% water and 29% land. Only 15% of this land is swallowed by humans. So while the chances of these parts falling into human habitation are mathematically low, the possibility that they can fall is important. Because the damage will be huge. If a simple bolt falls on the head from a height of 30 meters, it can kill a person. When these parts weighing a few tons fall out of space, we can estimate the damage.

Although the present crisis will be averted, it will not be averted in the near future. More than that, everyone should be careful not to let their foolishness take its toll on their own lives.

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