List of space debris producing events

Last updated

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

Contents

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

Top debris creation events, December 2022 [6]
ObjectYearPiecesNotes
Fengyun-1C 20073,549Intentional collision (ASAT)
Kosmos 2251 20091,716Accidental collision with Iridium 33
Kosmos 1408 20211,562Intentional collision (ASAT)
STEP 2 Rocket Body1996756Residual propellant explosion
Iridium 33 2009659Accidental collision with Kosmos 2251
Kosmos 2421 2008511Disintegrated[ citation needed ]
SPOT 1 Rocket Body1986506Residual propellant explosion
Parus 1981482Battery explosion
OV2-1 Rocket Body1965473Engine explosion
Nimbus 4 Rocket Body1970465Residual propellant explosion
NOAA-16 2015458Battery explosion
TES Rocket Body2001373Residual propellant explosion
CBERS 1 Rocket Body2000344Residual propellant explosion
Fregat tank2020338Residual propellant explosion
Ablestar 1961320Residual propellant explosion
Delta 2910 1975313Residual propellant explosion
Solwind 1985289Intentional collision (ASAT) [7]

Recent events

DateObjectInternational DesignationCauseTotal PiecesPieces in OrbitReentered Pieces as of Dec 2022 [lower-alpha 1]
August 31, 2018Centaur V upper stage [8] 2014-055BUnknown [8] 1071070
December 22, 2018ORBCOMM FM-16 [8] 1998-046EEnergetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent [9] 1358
January 24, 2019Microsat-R [9] 2019-006AASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test [9] 1290129
February 6, 2019H2-A 202 Rocket Body [8] 2018-084LUnknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body [8] 606
February 6, 2019H2-A 202 Payload Adapter [8] 2018-084EEnergetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown [8] 303
April 2019Centaur V Rocket Body [9] 2018-079BEnergetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown [9] 1931921
May 7, 2019Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body [10] 1976-023FEnergetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant [10] ? [lower-alpha 2] ??
August 19, 2019SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage [10] 2010-041HEnergetic 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] 23230
August 13, 2019Ariane 42P third stage rocket body [10] 1992-052DUnknown [10] 10100
December 23, 2019 Kosmos 2491 2013-076EUnknown [11] [12] ~20~200
May 8, 2020 Fregat tank [13] 2011-037BUnknown, possibly explosion [13] 34628066
July 12, 2020H2-A 202 Fairing [13] 2018-084CCollision with untracked debris [13] 1235118
March 18, 2021Yunhai-1 02 [14] 2019-063AAccidental collision with a fragment from the Zenit-2 rocket body that launched Tselina-2 in 1996. [14] 392019
November 15, 2021 Kosmos 1408 1982-092AASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test17873941393
November 12, 2022 Long March 6A upper stage2022-151BUnknown [15] 3503491
November 17, 2022H2-A 202 Payload fairing2012-025FEnergetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown [16] 50+50+0
January 4, 2023 Kosmos 2499 2014-028EUnknown [12] 85850
March 11, 2023 Orbcomm F361999-065EUnknown; likely energetic fragmentation event caused by a malfunction in the hydrazine orbit adjust system [17] [18] 770
August 21, 2023Vega VV02 VESPA adapter2013-021DUnknown; likely debris impact [19] [20] 770
  1. ↑ The date when all rows were updated.
  2. ↑ No fragments have entered the SSN catalog as 2022-09-22

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space debris</span> Pollution around Earth by defunct artificial objects

Space debris are defunct human-made objects in space – principally in Earth orbit – which no longer serve a useful function. These include derelict spacecraft, mission-related debris, and particularly-numerous in-Earth orbit fragmentation debris from the breakup of derelict rocket bodies and spacecraft. In addition to derelict human-made objects left in orbit, space debris includes fragments from disintegration, erosion, or collisions; solidified liquids expelled from spacecraft; unburned particles from solid rocket motors; and even paint flecks. Space debris represents a risk to spacecraft.

The Satellite Catalog Number is a sequential nine-digit number assigned by the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) in the order of launch or discovery to all artificial objects in the orbits of Earth and those that left Earth's orbit. The first catalogued object, catalog number 1, is the Sputnik 1 launch vehicle, with the Sputnik 1 satellite having been assigned catalog number 2. Objects that fail to orbit or orbit for a short time are not catalogued. The minimum object size in the catalog is 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in diameter. As of October 21, 2023, the catalog listed 58,010 objects, including 16,645 satellites that had been launched into orbit since 1957 of which 8,936 were still active. 25,717 of the objects were well tracked while 2,055 were lost. In addition USSPACECOM was also tracking 16,600 analyst objects. Analyst objects are variably tracked and in constant flux, so their catalog and element set data are not published. As of September 12, 2023 ESA estimated there were about 36,500 pieces of orbiting debris that are large enough for USSPACECOM to track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events of 2000

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2000 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events of 1995

This article outlines notable events occurring in 1995 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

Spacecraft collision avoidance is the implementation and study of processes minimizing the chance of orbiting spacecraft inadvertently colliding with other orbiting objects. The most common subject of spacecraft collision avoidance research and development is for human-made satellites in geocentric orbits. The subject includes procedures designed to prevent the accumulation of space debris in orbit, analytical methods for predicting likely collisions, and avoidance procedures to maneuver offending spacecraft away from danger.

Orbcomm is a family of low Earth orbit communications satellites, operated by the United States satellite communications company Orbcomm. As of July 2014, 51 such satellites have orbited Earth, with 50 still continuing to do so.

Strictly speaking, a satellite collision is when two satellites collide while in orbit around a third, much larger body, such as a planet or moon. This definition can be loosely extended to include collisions between sub-orbital or escape-velocity objects with an object in orbit. Prime examples are the anti-satellite weapon tests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 satellite collision</span> First hypervelocity spacecraft collision

On February 10, 2009, two communications satellites—the active commercial Iridium 33 and the derelict Russian military Kosmos 2251—accidentally collided at a speed of 11.7 km/s (26,000 mph) and an altitude of 789 kilometres (490 mi) above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia. It was the first time a hypervelocity collision occurred between two satellites; previous incidents had involved a satellite and a piece of space debris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events during the year 2015

In 2015, the maiden spaceflights of the Chinese Long March 6 and Long March 11 launch vehicles took place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events during the year of 2016

Several new rockets and spaceports began operations in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events during the year of 2019

This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 in spaceflight</span> Overview of notable events of 2018 in spaceflight

This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2018. For the first time since 1990, more than 100 orbital launches were performed globally.

Kosmos 2421 was a Russian spy satellite launched in 2006, but began fragmenting in early 2008. It also had the Konus-A science payload designed by Ioffe Institute to detect gamma-ray bursts. Three separate fragmentation events produced about 500 pieces of trackable debris. About half of those had already re-entered Earth's atmosphere by the fall of 2008.

Kosmos 2499 was a Russian satellite orbiting the Earth, before breaking up on January 4, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events during the year 2023

This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2023. For the third year in a row, new world records were set for both orbital launch attempts (223) and successful orbital launches (211) in a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qased (rocket)</span> Iranian satellite expendable launch vehicle

The Qased rocket is an Iranian expendable small-lift orbital space launch vehicle. It made its maiden flight in 2020, lofting Iran's first military satellite named Noor into orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosmos 1408</span> Soviet artificial satellite destroyed by an ASAT missile

Kosmos-1408 was an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) satellite operated by the Soviet Union. It was launched into low Earth orbit on 16 September 1982 at 14:55 UTC, replacing Kosmos-1378. It operated for around two years before becoming inactive and left in orbit.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  3. ↑ "ESA Experts Assess Risk from Exploded Satellite". www.esa.int. ESA. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "DARPA wants army of networked amateur astronomers to watch sky for space junk, aliens". Stratrisks. 2012-11-14. Archived from the original on 2012-11-19.
  5. 1 2 IEEE – The Growing Threat of Space Debris Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan (9 Dec 2022). "Space Debris Clouds". Jonathan's Space Pages. Retrieved 10 Dec 2022.
  7. ↑ December 2016, Space com Staff 21 (21 December 2016). "The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever". Space.com. Retrieved 2021-04-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (May 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News" (PDF). Space News. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News" (PDF). Space News. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (November 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News" (PDF). Space News. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  11. ↑ @planet4589 (January 12, 2020). "Unlike the two later sats, Kosmos-2491 did not change its orbit. It appeared to end its mission in 2014. However, at about 1321 UTC on 2019 Dec 23, the satellite made a 1.5m/s orbit change and 10 debris objects have now been cataloged" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 February 2023– via Twitter.
  12. 1 2 Berger, Eric (8 February 2023). "Mysterious Russian satellites are now breaking apart in low-Earth orbit". Ars Technica . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2020). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News" (PDF). NASA . Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  14. 1 2 Wall, Mike (17 August 2021). "Space collision: Chinese satellite got whacked by hunk of Russian rocket in March". Space.com . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  15. ↑ @18thSDS (November 13, 2022). "18th Space Defense Squadron confirmed breakup associated with CZ-6A Rocket Body - likely occurred Nov 12 at around 05:25 UTC" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 November 2022– via Twitter.
  16. ↑ @18thSDS (November 23, 2022). "18th Space Defense Squadron confirms breakup of H-2A DEB (#38345, 2012-025F)" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 December 2022– via Twitter.
  17. ↑ Orbital Focus [@OrbitalFocus] (March 17, 2023). "From Space-Track: The 18th Space Defense Squadron (18 SDS) has confirmed the breakup of Orbcomm FM 36 (#25984, 1999-065E), which likely occurred March 11, 2023, at approximately 0145 UTC. As of March 16, 18 SDS is tracking 7 associated pieces at an estimated 792 km altitude..." (Tweet). Retrieved 21 March 2023– via Twitter.
  18. ↑ @planet4589 (March 17, 2023). "The jump is a propulsive orbit adjust, which makes the likeliest cause some kind of bad event in the hydrazine orbit adjust system" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 March 2023– via Twitter.
  19. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (August 22, 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?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ↑ "Objects detected in the vicinity of ClearSpace-1 debris removal mission target". ESA. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
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