MANILA – The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) said debris from a rocket that North Korea is launching between Monday and midnight of June 3 is likely to fall east of the Philippines.
PhilSA Director Marc Talampas told the Philippine News Agency that the country usually gets notifications about rocket launch through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) since rocket launches could impact the airspace and flights.
“Based on the published NOTAM, there is a drop zone to the east of the Philippines. We are still confirming how much of the drop zone is within the EEZ (exclusive economic zone), but the edge of the drop zone is approximately 200 nautical miles to the nearest land feature of the Philippines,” Talampas said.
Debris usually fall within minutes after a rocket launch, he said.
“The risk of debris falling onto populated areas is very low. There is a possibility that the discarded rocket debris may float around the drop zone area and may wash towards the coasts,” he said.
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PhilSA advises the public to inform local authorities if any suspected debris is sighted at sea or land.
Talampas said PhilSA would be issuing a public advisory as soon as the launch is confirmed to have proceeded.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the debris will fall in three areas — two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other east of Luzon.
Pyongyang has made public a plan to launch three more satellites this year following its military reconnaissance satellite launch in November. (PNA)
