toodroot t1_iyb4egy wrote on November 30, 2022 at 2:09 AM

Reply to comment by generallyanoaf in China set to launch Shenzhou-15 spacecraft to its space station on Tuesday by Soupjoe5

This particular CZ-2F rocket drops its boosters in an area that has some villages. Toxic fuel, too.

Edit: Speaking of toxic, I wonder why there's so much toxic downvoting in these discussions?

KiwieeiwiK t1_iybzfrm wrote on November 30, 2022 at 6:55 AM

For the record the villages are evacuated before the launch by the government for this reason.

The reason they built their launch site inland and with villages downrange was to protect it from either Soviet invasion from the West or US naval attack from the sea. In the 1960s/70s that was a very real threat.

toodroot t1_iybzpcu wrote on November 30, 2022 at 6:58 AM

For the record, there are plenty of photos that say that evacuations aren't always successful.

I'm fully aware of why these launch sites were built inland, and that new Chinese rockets use a coastal launch site. And that Russia never built a launch site on their east coast for the same reason.