A Chinese rocket stage that disintegrated in space earlier this week has created a significant cloud of debris, putting over 1,000 satellites and other objects at risk of collision, according to space analysts. This event has raised alarm in the global space community, highlighting ongoing concerns about space debris and the need for more responsible space operations.
The incident occurred after China’s state-owned Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) launched 18 internet satellites into orbit on Tuesday. These satellites were the first batch of a planned communications network intended to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. However, the upper stage of the rocket that carried these satellites into orbit appeared to break apart soon after deploying its payloads.
According to U.S. space-tracking firms, the breakup generated a debris field containing more than 700 pieces. LeoLabs, a U.S.-based space-tracking firm, estimated that the actual number of debris fragments could exceed 900, making this one of the largest debris events in space history. The debris cloud was created at an altitude of approximately 800 kilometers (497 miles), a high-traffic region of Earth’s orbit that is already congested with satellites and other objects.
The exact cause of the rocket stage’s breakup remains unclear. Analysts speculate that it could have been caused either by a collision with another object or an onboard explosion, potentially due to unused rocket fuel. Initially, U.S. Space Command reported that the event had generated 300 pieces of debris, but that number is expected to increase as the debris cloud continues to disperse and is further analyzed.
Audrey Schaffer, vice president of strategy at space-tracking firm Slingshot Aerospace, expressed concerns about the potential consequences of this debris. She noted that over 1,100 satellites and other objects are now at risk of colliding with the Chinese debris. “What we are seeing now is there are over 1,100 predicted conjunctions of less than 5 km miss distances over the next three days,” Schaffer said. She added that approximately one-third of these objects are active spacecraft capable of maneuvering out of the way of potential collisions.
However, the majority of objects at risk are uncontrollable pieces of existing space junk, which have no capability to avoid the new debris. This raises the specter of cascading collisions, a scenario in which debris from one collision triggers further collisions, leading to an exponential increase in space debris. Such a scenario could significantly hinder future space operations and pose long-term challenges for satellite operators and space agencies worldwide.
This is not the first time China has faced criticism for creating space debris. In 2022, a Long March 6A rocket stage similarly broke apart in space, generating hundreds of pieces of debris. That event drew criticism from Western countries and space sustainability advocates, who argued that Beijing should take greater responsibility for controlling the disposal of spent rocket bodies.
“Frankly, it’s disappointing that the rocket had the same issue again,” Schaffer said, reflecting the frustration felt by many in the space community. “These kinds of debris-generating events that are potentially avoidable should not occur anymore.”
The latest incident underscores the urgent need for international collaboration on space sustainability and debris mitigation. As more countries and private companies launch satellites and other spacecraft, the risk of collisions and the accumulation of space debris will only increase. Without effective measures to manage and reduce space debris, the future of space exploration and satellite-based services could be at serious risk.
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