On Tuesday, the Chinese launched a rocket that was supposed to deliver 18 G60 satellites into orbit. They were supposed to be the first satellites to form Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology’s (SSST) Thousand Sails network. The megaconstellation is supposed to consist of 1,296 satellites, but we’ll have to wait a while longer to see it built. The first delivery failed and the rocket disintegrated in low Earth orbit, creating a cloud of space debris consisting of hundreds of pieces of destroyed equipment.
Chinese Rocket Disintegrates in Orbit, Leaves Huge Cloud of Debris in Space
Initially, data from Slingshot Aerospace’s Global Sensor Network put the number at 50 pieces of space debris, but the US Space Command later put the number at a much higher 300 pieces in orbit after Tuesday’s events. Meanwhile, LeoLabs radar confirms there are 700 pieces of debris, with a potential 900. NASA said the Chinese rocket’s disintegration did not pose a threat to the International Space Station.
SSST did not respond to a request for comment. The rocket’s disintegration was confirmed Thursday by the U.S. Space Command. “USSPACECOM did not observe any immediate threats and continues to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain,” a U.S. Space Command spokesman said. The unit will continue to track space debris, and information about it will be forwarded to NASA.
Space debris can threaten constellations of low-orbit satellites. Also the International Space Station.
The rocket crashed at an altitude of about 810 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Therefore, space debris may pose a threat to the constellation below low orbit, which ends at 800 kilometers. For comparison – the International Space Station floats at an altitude of 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, so it may turn out to be at risk of collision with objects over 28 thousand kilometers per hour.
The real threat posed by the debris left behind by the Chinese is not yet known. A full assessment of the events will have to wait a few more days. It is also not known what caused the rocket to disintegrate.
Source: Gazeta
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