Germany's first private space rocket crashed 18 seconds after launch
Images | roscosmos.ru
The Spektr rocket of the German startup Isar Aerospace crashed 18 seconds into flight after launching from the launch pad of the Norwegian spaceport of Annea, iz.ru reports.
For unknown reasons, the rocket began to chatter during the planned turn maneuver, after which it fell on its side and began to fall to the ground. This was reported by the Handelsblatt newspaper on March 30.
Ulrich Walter, a former astronaut and former professor of space technology at the Technical University of Munich, stated on the eve of the launch that if the first attempt fails, then this is normal, because few companies can successfully send rockets the first time.
Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace, stated that if the rocket explodes not on the launch pad at launch, but after taking off, then it can be considered a success.
The launch was originally scheduled to take place on March 24, but it was canceled due to bad weather.
Spectrum is a two-stage rocket designed to launch small and medium-sized satellites into orbit. The payload capacity will be 1 ton when launching cargo into low-Earth orbit, 700 kg when launching into a solar-geosynchronous orbit.
The rocket is being developed by the startup Isar Aerospace, founded seven years ago by graduates of the Technical University of Munich. The startup was able to attract financing in the amount of about 400 million euros, part of the money was also received from the structures of the European Union and the German government.
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Floods kill four and devastate eastern Australia
Images | aljazeera.com
Record-breaking floods in eastern Australia have killed four people and stranded tens of thousands after days of relentless rain, Al Jazeera reports.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns visited affected communities on Friday, some of which have experienced their worst flooding on record this week.
Minns praised emergency workers and volunteers, who have rescued 678 people in recent days - 177 of them in the past 24 hours.
It’s an amazing, heroic logistical effort where, in very difficult circumstances, many volunteers put themselves in harm’s way to rescue a complete stranger," Minns told reporters.
Without the volunteers, we would have had hundreds of deaths and we’re in deep, deep gratitude."
As well as the four victims killed, one person is reported missing.
About 50,000 people are still isolated across New South Wales, the country’s most populous state. Entire towns remain cut off and roads submerged after a powerful weather system dumped months of rain in three days.
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Mount Etna in Italy spews ash, lava intensely
Images | aa.com.tr
Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in southern Italy, erupted overnight, spewing large amounts of ash and lava, local media reported on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports.
The eruption, which began from the Southeast Crater, involved frequent and intense explosions, releasing two small lava flows directed toward the south and east, Catania Today reported.
An ash plume was also observed, drifting southeast and depositing volcanic ash on the nearby town of Zafferana Etnea.
The Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) issued by INGV has since been downgraded to "green," the lowest alert level.
Authorities confirmed that the eruption had no effect on operations at Catania’s Vincenzo Bellini International Airport.
Located on the island of Sicily, Etna is the highest active volcano in continental Europe at around 3,300 meters. This latest eruption marks the 13th recorded volcanic activity in recent months.
Intense volcanic activity was observed at Mount Etna in February and April of this year.
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