Astronomy:List of space debris producing events

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Major contributors to space debris include the explosion of upper stages and satellite collisions.[1]

Overview

There were 190 known satellite breakups between 1961 and 2006.[2] By 2015, the total had grown to 250 on-orbit fragmentation events.[3]

As of 2012 there were an estimated 500,000 pieces of debris in orbit,[4] with 300,000 pieces below 2000 km (LEO).[1] Of the total, about 20,000 are tracked.[1] Also, about sixteen old Soviet nuclear space reactors are known to have released an estimated 100,000 NaK liquid metal coolant droplets 800–900 km up,[5] which range in size from 1–6 cm.[5]

The greatest risk to space missions is from untracked debris between 1 and 10 cm in size.[1] Large pieces can be tracked and avoided, and impact from smaller pieces are usually survivable.[1]

Top debris creation events

Object Year Pieces Notes
Fengyun-1C 2007 3,549 Intentional collision (ASAT)
Kosmos 2251 2009 1,716 Accidental collision with Iridium 33
Kosmos 1408 2021 1,562 Intentional collision (ASAT)
Long March 6A upper stage 2024 700–900+ Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.[6]
Long March 6A upper stage 2022 781[7] Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation with later debris cloud expansion.[7][8]
STEP 2 Rocket Body 1996 756 Residual propellant explosion
Iridium 33 2009 659 Accidental collision with Kosmos 2251
SPOT 1 Rocket Body 1986 506 Residual propellant explosion
Parus 1981 482 Battery explosion
OV2-1 Rocket Body 1965 473 Engine explosion
Nimbus 4 Rocket Body 1970 465 Residual propellant explosion
NOAA-16 2015 458 Battery explosion
TES Rocket Body 2001 373 Residual propellant explosion
CBERS-1 Rocket Body 2000 344 Residual propellant explosion
Fregat tank 2020 338 Residual propellant explosion
Ablestar 1961 320 Residual propellant explosion
Delta 2910 1975 313 Residual propellant explosion
Solwind 1985 289 Intentional collision (ASAT) [9]

Recent events

Date Object International Designation Cause Total Pieces Pieces in Orbit Reentered Pieces as of Dec 2022[lower-alpha 1]
August 31, 2018 Centaur V upper stage[10] 2014-055B Unknown[10] 107 107 0
December 22, 2018 ORBCOMM FM-16 [10] 1998-046E Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent[11] 13 5 8
January 24, 2019 Microsat-R[11] 2019-006A ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test[11] 129 0 129
February 6, 2019 H2-A 202 Rocket Body[10] 2018-084L Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body[10] 6 0 6
February 6, 2019 H2-A 202 Payload Adapter[10] 2018-084E Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown[10] 3 0 3
April 2019 Centaur V Rocket Body[11] 2018-079B Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown[11] 193 192 1
May 7, 2019 Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body[12] 1976-023F Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant[12] ?[lower-alpha 2] ? ?
August 19, 2019 SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage[12] 2010-041H Energetic fragmentation event; caused by left over fuel in the ullage motor. 30th fragmentation event of a SOZ unit. 34 intact units remain in orbit[12] 23 23 0
August 13, 2019 Ariane 42P third stage rocket body[12] 1992-052D Unknown[12] 10 10 0
May 8, 2020 Fregat tank[13] 2011-037B Unknown, possibly explosion[13] 346 280 66
July 12, 2020 H2-A 202 Fairing[13] 2018-084C Collision with untracked debris[13] 123 5 118
March 18, 2021 Yunhai-1 02[14] 2019-063A Accidental collision with a fragment from the Zenit-2 rocket body that launched Tselina-2 in 1996.[14] 39 20 19
November 15, 2021 Kosmos 1408 1982-092A ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test 1787 394 1393
November 12, 2022 Long March 6A upper stage 2022-151B Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.[15][16][17] 781 722 59
November 17, 2022 H2-A 202 Payload fairing 2012-025F Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown[18] 50+ 50+ 0
January 4, 2023 Kosmos 2499 2014-028E Unknown[19] 85 85 0
August 21, 2023 Vega VV02 VESPA adapter 2013-021D Unknown; likely debris impact[20][21] 7 7 0
June 26, 2024 Resurs-P No.1 2013-030A Unknown; but may be related to improper spacecraft passivization[22][23] 100[24] 19[24] ?
July 4, 2024 Long March 6A upper stage 2024-126C Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.[25] 44[24] 0[24] ?
August 6, 2024 Long March 6A upper stage 2024-140U Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.[6] 700+[24] 663[24] ?
September 6, 2024 Atlas V Centaur upper stage 2018-022B Unknown; 843+[24] 843[24] ?
October 19, 2024 Intelsat 33e 2016-053B Unknown; potential threat to all spacecraft in geostationary orbit, including the Russian satellites, Ekspress-AT1, Yamal-402, Ekspress-AM6 and Elektro-L;[26][27] 1104+[24] 1104[24] ?
February 9, 2025 New Glenn upper stage+Blue Ring 2025-011A Energetic fragmentation event;[citation needed] Cause Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation. 67 67 0
  1. ↑ The date when all rows were updated.
  2. ↑ No fragments have entered the SSN catalog as 2022-09-22

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Threat of Orbital Debris and Protecting NASA Space Assets from Satellite Collisions (2009)
  2. ↑ "AN ANALYSIS OF RECENT MAJOR BREAKUPS IN THE LOW EARTH ORBIT REGION". https://www.iafastro.net/iac/archive/browse/IAC-10/A6/2/6484/. 
  3. ↑ "ESA Experts Assess Risk from Exploded Satellite". ESA. https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Clean_Space/ESA_experts_assess_risk_from_exploded_satellite. 
  4. ↑ "DARPA wants army of networked amateur astronomers to watch sky for space junk, aliens". Stratrisks. 2012-11-14. http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/9353. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 IEEE – The Growing Threat of Space Debris
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jones, Andrew (9 August 2024). "Chinese rocket stage breaks up into cloud of more than 700 pieces of space debris". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/chinese-rocket-stage-breaks-up-into-cloud-of-more-than-700-pieces-of-space-debris/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Evolution of Major Debris Clouds in Low Earth Orbit". NASA. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv27i3.pdf. 
  8. ↑ Jones, Andrew (8 August 2024). "Chinese megaconstellation launch creates field of space debris". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/chinese-megaconstellation-launch-creates-field-of-space-debris/. 
  9. ↑ "The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever". 21 December 2016. https://www.space.com/19-top-10-space-weapons.html. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (May 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". Space News. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i1.pdf. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". Space News. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i3.pdf. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (November 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". Space News. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i4.pdf. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2020). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". NASA. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv24i4.pdf. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Wall, Mike (17 August 2021). "Space collision: Chinese satellite got whacked by hunk of Russian rocket in March". Space.com. https://www.space.com/space-junk-collision-chinese-satellite-yunhai-1-02. 
  15. ↑ Jones, Andrew (2024-07-12). "China's Long March 6A rocket appears to have an orbital debris problem" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/chinas-long-march-6a-rocket-appears-to-have-an-orbital-debris-problem/. 
  16. ↑ @S4S_SDA (7 August 2024). "#S4S has confirmed the breakup of a Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China, on Aug. 7, 2024. Analysis ongoing. #spacedebris #SDA @SpaceTrackOrg @US_SpaceCom". https://twitter.com/S4S_SDA/status/1821320706044653969. 
  17. ↑ @18thSDS (12 November 2022). "18th Space Defense Squadron confirmed breakup associated with CZ-6A Rocket Body - likely occurred Nov 12 at around 05:25 UTC.". https://twitter.com/18thSDS/status/1591597224081108992. 
  18. ↑ @18thSDS (23 November 2022). "18th Space Defense Squadron confirms breakup of H-2A DEB (#38345, 2012-025F)". https://twitter.com/18thSDS/status/1595476174267891712. 
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ars-20230208
  20. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (22 August 2023). "7 new debris objects cataloged from the Vega VV02 launch in a 23:50 LTDN sun-sync orbit, consistent with a breakup of the VESPA adapter upper section, object 39162. Possibly the result of an impact by a small object?". https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1693810817760678191. 
  21. ↑ "Objects detected in the vicinity of ClearSpace-1 debris removal mission target". ESA. 22 August 2023. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Objects_detected_in_the_vicinity_of_ClearSpace-1_debris_removal_mission_target. 
  22. ↑ "Press Release: Break-up of Russian-owned space object". United States Space Command (Press release). 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  23. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2024-06-27). "Russian satellite breaks up, creating debris in low Earth orbit". https://spacenews.com/russian-satellite-breaks-up-creating-debris-in-low-earth-orbit/. 
  24. ↑ 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 "Annual Space Environment Report – Edition 9.1: Status of the Space Environment 2024". European Space Agency. 21 October 2025. https://www.sdo.esoc.esa.int/publications/Space_Environment_Report_I9R1_20251021.pdf. 
  25. ↑ Jones, Andrew (12 July 2024). "China's Long March 6A rocket appears to have an orbital debris problem". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/chinas-long-march-6a-rocket-appears-to-have-an-orbital-debris-problem/. 
  26. ↑ Rainbow, Jason (19 October 2024). "Intelsat 33e breaks up in geostationary orbit". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/intelsat-33e-loses-power-in-geostationary-orbit/. 
  27. ↑ Rainbow, Jason (10 December 2024). "Intelsat 33e demise exposes vulnerabilities in the space domain". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/intelsat-33e-demise-exposes-vulnerabilities-in-the-space-domain/. "Clint Clark, ExoAnalytic Solutions chief growth officer and vice president of first impressions, said the company has identified a cloud of more than 700 pieces of debris following the Oct. 19 incident." 



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