Russia’s Out of Control Rocket Drops to Earth

On 27 December 2021, Russia launched one of the country’s new heavy-load launchers, the Angara A5 rocket, for a test flight. Launched from the Plesetsk Space Base in the northwest of Russia, the rocket included a model satellite with it. Shortly after the rocket was launched, the rocket’s engine failed.

As a result of the failure of Persei’s engine, the upper stage of the rocket, Persei was trapped in low orbit. This part of the rocket, which was stranded in low orbit on December 27, was expected to crash into the Earth today. The worst part was that it was not known when or where the rocket fragment would land. Persei crashed to Earth in the past few hours.

Most of the rocket was destroyed by fire.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who has been following the piece of the out-of-control Russian rocket for a while, announced that it was confirmed that the vehicle entered the atmosphere around 00:08 at night. Most of Persei, which entered the atmosphere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, burned to death due to the heat created with its entry into the atmosphere.

According to various sources, the remnants of the 4-ton rocket fragment fell into the south of the Pacific Ocean. Where and when the rocket fragment will fall cannot be predicted with certainty, although some experts say. They stated that the piece would likely fall into the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, the rocket did not land on land, as expected, but in the ocean.