– A Chinese Long March 6A rocket broke apart after launching on Tuesday, creating a cloud of space debris in low-Earth orbit.
– US Space Command and other space debris tracking entities have detected over 300 pieces of debris from the breakup.
– The breakup occurred at an altitude of around 503 miles. The debris poses a risk to satellites and space stations in nearby orbits.
– Experts are monitoring the debris but the full risks are still unknown. Some debris may remain in orbit for decades.
– A similar Chinese rocket broke up in November 2022, also creating over 500 debris fragments. The cause of the previous breakup was likely an issue with the rocket’s propulsion system.
– The growing amount of space debris poses increasing collision risks. Experts call for adherence to space debris mitigation guidelines to reduce orbital debris.
– The breakup highlights the importance of space situational awareness to detect and track new debris and avoid potential collisions with spacecraft.
Source: CNN
