List of space debris producing events

Short description: none

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

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Top debris creation events
* 3 Recent events
* 4 References

## 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[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]

## 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)
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) [6]

## 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 [7] | 2014-055B | Unknown [7] | 107 | 107 | 0
December 22, 2018 | ORBCOMM FM-16 [7] | 1998-046E | Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent [8] | 13 | 5 | 8
January 24, 2019 | Microsat-R [8] | 2019-006A | ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test [8] | 129 | 0 | 129
February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Rocket Body [7] | 2018-084L | Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body[7] | 6 | 0 | 6
February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Payload Adapter [7] | 2018-084E | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown[7] | 3 | 0 | 3
April 2019 | Centaur V Rocket Body[8] | 2018-079B | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown[8] | 193 | 192 | 1
May 7, 2019 | Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body[9] | 1976-023F | Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant [9] | ?[lower-alpha 2] | ? | ?
August 19, 2019 | SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage[9] | 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[9] | 23 | 23 | 0
August 13, 2019 | Ariane 42P third stage rocket body[9] | 1992-052D | Unknown [9] | 10 | 10 | 0
May 8, 2020 | Fregat tank [10] | 2011-037B | Unknown, possibly explosion [10] | 346 | 280 | 66
July 12, 2020 | H2-A 202 Fairing [10] | 2018-084C | Collision with untracked debris [10] | 123 | 5 | 118
March 18, 2021 | Yunhai-1 02[11] | 2019-063A | Accidental collision with a fragment from the Zenit-2 rocket body that launched Tselina-2 in 1996.[11] | 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[12] | 350 | 349 | 1
November 17, 2022 | H2-A 202 Payload fairing | 2012-025F | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown[13] | 50+ | 50+ | 0
January 4, 2023 | Kosmos 2499 | 2014-028E | Unknown[14] | 85 | 85 | 0
August 21, 2023 | Vega VV02 VESPA adapter | 2013-021D | Unknown; likely debris impact[15][16] | 7 | 7 | 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". http://www.iafastro.net/iac/archive/browse/IAC-10/A6/2/6484/.
3. ↑ "ESA Experts Assess Risk from Exploded Satellite". ESA. http://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. ↑ December 2016, Space com Staff 21 (21 December 2016). "The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever" (in en). https://www.space.com/19-top-10-space-weapons.html.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (May 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". Space News. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i1.pdf.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". Space News. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i3.pdf.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (November 2019). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". Space News. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i4.pdf.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2020). "Orbital Debris Quarterly News". NASA. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv24i4.pdf.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 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.
12. ↑ @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.
13. ↑ @18thSDS (23 November 2022). "18th Space Defense Squadron confirms breakup of H-2A DEB (#38345, 2012-025F)". https://twitter.com/18thSDS/status/1595476174267891712.
14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `ars-20230208`
15. ↑ 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.
16. ↑ "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.

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