HT TECH wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

Metal balls fallen from sky in Gujarat might be Chinese rocket debris: Experts

Four spherical metal balls fell from the sky in some villages of Gujarat over the past few days, which as per some experts are most likely the debris of a Chinese rocket.

By: PTI
Updated on: Aug 22 2022, 12:25 IST
No one was injured by these objects, which are currently in possession of the Anand police. (Representational Image)  (AFP)

Four spherical metal balls fell from the sky in some villages of Gujarat over the past few days, which as per some experts are most likely the debris of a Chinese rocket or fuel storage tanks of space launch vehicles. The hollow metal spheres, each of about 1.5 feet diameter, fell between May 12 and 13 in Dagjipura, Khambholaj and Rampura villages of Anand district and Bhumel village of neighbouring Kheda district, Anand's Deputy Superintendent of Police B D Jadeja told PTI. 

No one was injured by these objects, which are currently in possession of the Anand police, he said. "Our primary analysis suggested that these metal balls might belong to a satellite. For further analysis, we have decided to consult the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as well as the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad," Jadeja said. US-based astronomer Jonathan McDowell in a tweet on May 12 said these metal spheres are likely debris of the Chinese rocket Chang Zheng 3B, commonly known as CZ 3B. 

You may be interested in

Mobiles Tablets Laptops
7% OFF
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • Black Titanium
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹148,900₹159,900
Buy now
28% OFF
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G
  • Green
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹107,999₹149,999
Buy now
Google Pixel 8 Pro
  • Obsidian
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹106,998
Check details
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
  • Black
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹87,900
Check details
21% OFF
Acer Swift Go SFG14 41 NX KG3SI 002 Laptop
  • Pure Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹58,999₹74,999
Buy now
39% OFF
Acer Aspire 5 A515 57G Laptop
  • Gray
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹54,949₹89,999
Buy now
22% OFF
Acer Aspire 3 A315 24 NX KDESI 004 Laptop
  • Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹33,499₹42,999
Buy now
40% OFF
Asus VivoBook 15 X515JA BQ322WS Laptop
  • Transparent Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹31,350₹51,990
Buy now
34% OFF
Xiaomi Pad 6
  • Mist Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹26,299₹39,999
Buy now
55% OFF
Lenovo Tab M10 5G
  • Abyss Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹20,999₹47,000
Buy now
32% OFF
Realme Pad 2
  • Imagination Grey
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹19,749₹28,999
Buy now
Honor Pad X9
  • Gray
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹14,999
Check details

The debris might have fallen over Gujarat during the "reentry" of the rocket, he said. On May 12, McDowell tweeted, "The third stage from the Chang Zheng 3B serial Y86 rocket, which launched the ZX-9B communications satellite in Sep 2021, reentered today sometime around 0900-1200 UTC." 

"CZ-3B Y86's final orbital parameters are a bit uncertain due to its highly elliptical orbit with very low (100 km or so) perigee rapidly changing due to drag. But appears a fair match for the reentry over Gujarat at 1115 UTC May 12 from which debris has been found on the ground," he added. 

Retired ISRO scientist B S Bhatia said these metal balls might be the fuel tanks used in rockets and satellites to store hydrazine, a type of liquid fuel. Usually, empty storage tanks on a rocket are programmed to detach automatically and fall on the ground after the fuel is completely consumed. "These large spheres might be the storage tanks for hydrazine. This is a very common fuel, primarily used to keep satellites in their orbit. This liquid fuel is also used in rockets," Bhatia said. 

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on ,Twitter, Facebook, , and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 17 May, 21:03 IST
Tags:

Sale

Mobiles Tablets Laptops
7% OFF
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • Black Titanium
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹148,900₹159,900
Buy now
13% OFF
Xiaomi 14
  • Matte Black
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 512 GB Storage
₹69,999₹79,999
Buy now
11% OFF
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
  • Black
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹79,800₹89,900
Buy now
3% OFF
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
  • Icy Blue
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹154,999₹159,999
Buy now
57% OFF
Lenovo Tab M10 5G
  • Abyss Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹19,999₹47,000
Buy now
28% OFF
Realme Pad 2
  • Imagination Grey
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹17,999₹24,999
Buy now
20% OFF
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G 256GB
  • Graphite
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹86,999₹108,699
Buy now
28% OFF
realme Pad 2 WiFi
  • Imagination Grey
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹17,999₹24,999
Buy now
23% OFF
Infinix INBook X1 Neo XL22 Laptop Intel Celeron Quad Core 8 GB 256 GB SSD Windows 11
  • Blue
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB SSD
₹22,990₹29,990
Buy now
28% OFF
Asus ROG Strix G17 G712LU EV078T Laptop
  • Blue
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 1 TB SSD
₹81,990₹113,990
Buy now
40% OFF
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Laptop
  • Silver
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB SSD
₹28,690₹47,990
Buy now
22% OFF
Asus ROG Strix G15 G513RC HN085WS Laptop
  • Electro Punk
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 1 TB SSD
₹70,990₹90,990
Buy now
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS