List of space debris producing events
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Major contributors to space debris include the explosion of upper stages and satellite collisions.
Overview
There were 190 known satellite breakups between 1961 and 2006. By 2015, the total had grown to 250 on-orbit fragmentation events.
As of 2012 there were an estimated 500,000 pieces of debris in orbit, with 300,000 pieces below 2000 km (LEO). Of the total, about 20,000 are tracked. 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, which range in size from 1 – 6 cm.
The greatest risk to space missions is from untracked debris between 1 and 10 cm in size. Large pieces can be tracked and avoided, and impact from smaller pieces are usually survivable.
Top debris creation events
| Top debris creation events, December 2022 | |||||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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) | ||||
Recent events
| Date | Object | International Designation | Cause | Total Pieces | Pieces in Orbit | Reentered Pieces as of Dec 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31, 2018 | Centaur V upper stage | 2014-055B | Unknown | 107 | 107 | 0 |
| December 22, 2018 | ORBCOMM FM-16 | 1998-046E | Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent | 13 | 5 | 8 |
| January 24, 2019 | Microsat-R | 2019-006A | ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test | 129 | 0 | 129 |
| February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Rocket Body | 2018-084L | Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| February 6, 2019 | H2-A 202 Payload Adapter | 2018-084E | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| April 2019 | Centaur V Rocket Body | 2018-079B | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown | 193 | 192 | 1 |
| May 7, 2019 | Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body | 1976-023F | Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant | ? | ? | ? |
| August 19, 2019 | SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage | 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 | 23 | 23 | 0 |
| August 13, 2019 | Ariane 42P third stage rocket body | 1992-052D | Unknown | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| December 23, 2019 | Kosmos 2491 | 2013-076E | Unknown | ~20 | ~20 | 0 |
| May 8, 2020 | Fregat tank | 2011-037B | Unknown, possibly explosion | 346 | 280 | 66 |
| July 12, 2020 | H2-A 202 Fairing | 2018-084C | Collision with untracked debris | 123 | 5 | 118 |
| March 18, 2021 | Yunhai-1 02 | 2019-063A | Accidental collision with a fragment from the Zenit-2 rocket body that launched Tselina-2 in 1996. | 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 | 350 | 349 | 1 |
| November 17, 2022 | H2-A 202 Payload fairing | 2012-025F | Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown | 50+ | 50+ | 0 |
| January 4, 2023 | Kosmos 2499 | 2014-028E | Unknown | 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 | 7 | 7 | 0 |