Mysterious "space balls" fell from the sky in Vietnam

[RainDreamer]

BBC link:http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/vietnam-space-balls-1.3393229

And the source they mentioned: http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/mysterious-metal-balls-found-in-vietnam-may-be-space-debris-officials-57789.html

 

Images from both of those sources:

3 of these were found, each reportedly weight 250 gram, 6 kgs, and 45 kg respectively (assuming different sizes). Authorities are saying these are compressed air tanks of rockets or satellites, likely russian made, and likely fall from a failed rocket launch, because these things can't possibly survive reentry and look like they are now(can they?).

 

The question is, who launched the failed rocket? And where are the rest of the things? These looks waaay too intact to be in a part of an explosion, so they may have fell off on the way somehow.

Edited January 9, 2016 by RainDreamer

[NFUN]

A couple ball bearings must have fallen off.

 

[Motokid600]

I doubt it's from a failed rocket. It's probably from an upper stage that degraded and broke up on reentry. It's perfectly plausible for those tanks to have survived.

My money is on the Fregat.

 

Edited January 9, 2016 by Motokid600

[Kryten]

Small tanks like this regularly survive re-entry, and there are no failed launches which are anything like plausible matches. The location and time matches with the re-entry of the Zenit second stage from the Elektro-L launch last month, as does sighting of a re-entry from Thailand  not long before these were found.

[Sandworm]

Found it. Mystery over. What's the fine for littering in Vietnam?

http://www.aerospace.org/cords/reentry-predictions/upcoming-...

Launch on dec 11.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrQLacne89s

Mission profile and payload. Elektro-L No. 2 weather-forecasting satellite.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/elektro-l2.html

Edit: I think I was wrong about this being a blok-d upper. I think what came down over vietnam was the second stage of the rocket. This: http://www.russianspaceweb.com/zenit_stage2.html

Really BBC, do some digging before using the phrase "Space Balls" in a headline. It took like 40 minutes of googling to find everything about this debris.

 

** I had originally posted this over at hackernews were a few of us were working out the specifics. **

Edited January 10, 2016 by Sandworm

[RainDreamer]

So what are they anyway? I mean if it is just compressed air tanks then it is probably safe, but if they are monoprop tanks or such, wouldn't even a trace amount of them can be rather toxic?

[fredinno]

12 minutes ago, RainDreamer said:

So what are they anyway? I mean if it is just compressed air tanks then it is probably safe, but if they are monoprop tanks or such, wouldn't even a trace amount of them can be rather toxic?

Concerning what I know about Fregat, they are toxic hypergolic fuel/oxidizer tanks.

[Kryten]

Again, this matches the second stage, not the Fregat third stage. Even if it was from Fregat, the fuels are pretty volatile and would be unlikely to survive re-entry.

[Motokid600]

I only said Fregat because each sphere is reported to be different sizes. I look at the upper stage design of the Zenit and it has no such tanks. Only what seems like equal sized ones, But hey whatever if that's what the trajectory data says then that's it.

With the right trajectory such a structure could survive reentry. Thing is there's another hole in my theory. What Fregat is in LEO? Afaik Fregats are used for GSO, BEO crafts so... No, would not survive reentry. 

Edited January 10, 2016 by Motokid600

[Laie]

15 hours ago, RainDreamer said:

So what are they anyway? I mean if it is just compressed air tanks then it is probably safe, but if they are monoprop tanks or such, wouldn't even a trace amount of them can be rather toxic?

http://www3.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/methylhy.html

"Trace amounts" are mostly a matter of workplace security. Don't get me wrong: while only long-term effects are known, this stuff can't possibly be healthy even if you encounter it only once in your lifetime.

But what if you come across it unawares? If an especially careless person (i.e. playing kids) was to handle the container and get a drop on the skin, that would be very bad indeed. Then again, the vapors are be so obviously toxic that most people would back off immediately, thus avoiding severe and lasting damage.

Ever gotten a whiff of (say) ammonia or burning sulfur? UDMH seems to be in the same category: one nose full will make it totally obvious that this is bad for you. You don't need to be told to avoid it.

All things considered, it's by no means the worst poison you could find in your backyard. Also decomposes quickly, so it won't ruin your taters for years to come.

[Matuchkin]

It's a Zenit rocket second stage, launched on December 11th, 2015. Its orbit decayed, burning it up over Vietnam.

Edited January 11, 2016 by 073198681