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Spaceflight in 2024 infographic
Graphic shows rocket launches in 2024.
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YEAR END

The growing threat of space junk

By Duncan Mil

December 31, 2024 - Record increases in satellite launches and space junk will make low Earth orbit unusable unless countries cooperate and share data needed to manage that most accessible region of space.

On August 6, one of China’s Long March 6A rockets broke apart in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and created a debris cloud consisting of more than 300 pieces, according to U.S. Space Command.

Beijing launched the Long March from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre to deliver 18 G60 satellites into orbit.

“There has been no immediate threat to the International Space Station observed as a result of this breakup,” said Rob Margetta, public affairs officer at NASA headquarters.

The rocket broke apart 810km above the Earth’s surface, and the debris poses “a significant hazard to (LEO) constellations” below 800km altitude, according to Slingshot Aerospace’s Global Sensor Network.

As recently as June, a defunct Russian satellite exploded, forcing nine astronauts on the International Space Station to shelter from thousands of shards for an hour. Russia’s Roscosmos ordered their astronauts to shelter in their return spacecraft, while the  U.S. astronauts took refuge in a SpaceX Crew Dragon and Starliner.

Since the Space Age began in October 1957, with the launch of Sputnik 1, there have been over five thousand launches. Each launch typically has several objects associated with it that may remain in orbit. The U.S. has catalogued about 120 million objects over the years.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 05/12/2024; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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