Chinese Rocket Breaks Up During Launch
Chinese Rocket Breaks Up During Launch
Creates More Than 300 Pieces of Trackable Space Debris
A Chinese Long March 6A rocket broke up during launch on August 6th, according to a post on X from the U.S. Space Command.
"USSPACECOM can confirm the breakup of a Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched on August 6, 2024, resulting in over 300 pieces of trackable debris in low-Earth orbit. USSPACECOM has observed no immediate threats and continues to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain," the post said.
There were no further details provided about the incident. Starlink posted a response on the social media platform concerning the effect the breakup might have on its constellation of satellites in LEO.
"The Starlink team is closely monitoring the debris created by a mishap of the upper stage of the Long March 6A rocket. The debris does not pose a significant immediate risk to the Starlink constellation, but most is likely to remain in space for decades due to the incident occurring at a high altitude (~800km).
“Space safety and sustainability are technical challenges but they can be managed with transparent communication on asset locations (current and planned), proactive mitigations like deorbiting upper stages after payload dispense, and passive safety measures such as inserting at lower altitudes and raising to an operational orbit.
“SpaceX recently suffered a launch mishap of our own, however our strategy to drop off Starlink satellites below 300km (and operating at low altitudes in general) helped ensure that any debris released from that event re-entered within days. And by design, Starlink satellites fully demise upon reentry, posing no threat to public safety.
“We, acting as a community, should implement best practices to keep space safe and sustainable," the statement said.