Major contributors to space debris include the explosion of upper stages and satellite collisions. [1]
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 [update] 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]
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) |
STEP 2 Rocket Body | 1996 | 756 | Residual propellant explosion |
Iridium 33 | 2009 | 659 | Accidental collision with Kosmos 2251 |
Kosmos 2421 | 2008 | 511 | Disintegrated[ citation needed] |
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) [7] |
Date | Object | International Designation | Cause | Total Pieces | Pieces in Orbit | Reentered Pieces as of Dec 2022 [a] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 31, 2018 | Centaur V upper stage [8] | 2014-055B | Unknown [8] | 107 | 107 | 0 |
December 22, 2018 | ORBCOMM FM-16 [8] | 1998-046E | Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent [9] | 13 | 5 | 8 |
January 24, 2019 | Microsat-R [9] | 2019-006A | ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test [9] | 129 | 0 | 129 |
February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Rocket Body [8] | 2018-084L | Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body [8] | 6 | 0 | 6 |
February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Payload Adapter [8] | 2018-084E | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown [8] | 3 | 0 | 3 |
April 2019 | Centaur V Rocket Body [9] | 2018-079B | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown [9] | 193 | 192 | 1 |
May 7, 2019 | Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body [10] | 1976-023F | Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant [10] | ? [b] | ? | ? |
August 19, 2019 | SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage [10] | 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 [10] | 23 | 23 | 0 |
August 13, 2019 | Ariane 42P third stage rocket body [10] | 1992-052D | Unknown [10] | 10 | 10 | 0 |
December 23, 2019 | Kosmos 2491 | 2013-076E | Unknown [11] [12] | ~20 | ~20 | 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 [15] | 350 | 349 | 1 |
November 17, 2022 | H2-A 202 Payload fairing | 2012-025F | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown [16] | 50+ | 50+ | 0 |
January 4, 2023 | Kosmos 2499 | 2014-028E | Unknown [12] | 85 | 85 | 0 |
March 11, 2023 | Orbcomm F36 | 1999-065E | Unknown; likely energetic fragmentation event caused by a malfunction in the hydrazine orbit adjust system [17] [18] | 7 | 7 | 0 |
August 21, 2023 | Vega VV02 VESPA adapter | 2013-021D | Unknown; likely debris impact [19] [20] | 7 | 7 | 0 |
June 26, 2024 | Resurs-P No.1 | 2013-030A | Unknown; likely tank or battery explosion [21] [22] | 100+ | 100+ | 0 |
Major contributors to space debris include the explosion of upper stages and satellite collisions. [1]
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 [update] 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]
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) |
STEP 2 Rocket Body | 1996 | 756 | Residual propellant explosion |
Iridium 33 | 2009 | 659 | Accidental collision with Kosmos 2251 |
Kosmos 2421 | 2008 | 511 | Disintegrated[ citation needed] |
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) [7] |
Date | Object | International Designation | Cause | Total Pieces | Pieces in Orbit | Reentered Pieces as of Dec 2022 [a] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 31, 2018 | Centaur V upper stage [8] | 2014-055B | Unknown [8] | 107 | 107 | 0 |
December 22, 2018 | ORBCOMM FM-16 [8] | 1998-046E | Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent [9] | 13 | 5 | 8 |
January 24, 2019 | Microsat-R [9] | 2019-006A | ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test [9] | 129 | 0 | 129 |
February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Rocket Body [8] | 2018-084L | Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body [8] | 6 | 0 | 6 |
February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Payload Adapter [8] | 2018-084E | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown [8] | 3 | 0 | 3 |
April 2019 | Centaur V Rocket Body [9] | 2018-079B | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown [9] | 193 | 192 | 1 |
May 7, 2019 | Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body [10] | 1976-023F | Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant [10] | ? [b] | ? | ? |
August 19, 2019 | SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage [10] | 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 [10] | 23 | 23 | 0 |
August 13, 2019 | Ariane 42P third stage rocket body [10] | 1992-052D | Unknown [10] | 10 | 10 | 0 |
December 23, 2019 | Kosmos 2491 | 2013-076E | Unknown [11] [12] | ~20 | ~20 | 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 [15] | 350 | 349 | 1 |
November 17, 2022 | H2-A 202 Payload fairing | 2012-025F | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown [16] | 50+ | 50+ | 0 |
January 4, 2023 | Kosmos 2499 | 2014-028E | Unknown [12] | 85 | 85 | 0 |
March 11, 2023 | Orbcomm F36 | 1999-065E | Unknown; likely energetic fragmentation event caused by a malfunction in the hydrazine orbit adjust system [17] [18] | 7 | 7 | 0 |
August 21, 2023 | Vega VV02 VESPA adapter | 2013-021D | Unknown; likely debris impact [19] [20] | 7 | 7 | 0 |
June 26, 2024 | Resurs-P No.1 | 2013-030A | Unknown; likely tank or battery explosion [21] [22] | 100+ | 100+ | 0 |