Chinese rocket debris poses threat to low Earth orbit: Experts

Chinese Long March 6A rocket broke up into pieces. According to the American company Slingshot Aerospace, the debris may pose a threat to low Earth orbit below 800 kilometres. At the same time, this is not the first failure of a Chinese rocket in recent times.

One of the Chinese Long March 6A rockets experienced a malfunction, causing it to break up into pieces. As CNN reports, on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST, the rocket launched 18 communication satellites into orbit, which are part of the Qianfan Xingzuo project, or "Thousand Sails Constellation." This system is intended as a response to SpaceX's Starlink.

Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) is responsible for the project. Ultimately, the constellation is supposed to consist of 1,296 satellites with the possibility of expanding to about 14,000.

The rocket's failure resulted in the appearance of many small fragments in orbit. CNN journalists reached out to SSST for comment but received no response. However, U.S. Space Command did comment on the situation.

A spokesperson from U.S. Space Command stated that they have not identified any immediate threats and are continuing to perform regular conjunction assessments to ensure the safety and sustainability of space operations.

Rob Margetta, NASA spokesperson, said the rocket's breakup did not pose any threat to the International Space Station. Initially, 50 fragments were tracked. Now, the U.S. Space Command is tracking over 300 rocket elements. LeoLabs said the incident resulted in at least 700 fragments, possibly even more than 900.

The Chinese rocket reportedly broke up at an altitude of about 800 kilometres above the Earth's surface. According to Slingshot Aerospace, the debris poses a "serious threat" to objects below 800 kilometres. For comparison, the International Space Station (ISS) orbits at about 408 kilometres above the Earth.

The danger associated with the debris cloud is not yet known. Experts will be able to estimate it only after subjecting the debris cloud to a thorough analysis. This may take a day or two. The reason for the rocket's breakup is still unknown.

John L. Crassidis, a Moog Innovation Professor at the University at Buffalo's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, explained that the most concerning situation would be if any debris collided with objects moving around the equator. He noted that such collisions would involve substantial impact force, particularly with objects that aren't in a polar orbit, as Chinese satellites typically orbit around the poles rather than the equator. His remarks were reported by CNN.

He likened the scenario to a T-type intersection, where two cars collide while traveling at around 27,000 kilometers per hour—a dangerous situation. He emphasized that any object appearing in their path would lead to similarly dire consequences.

In 2022, the body of the Long March 6A rocket also exploded in the low Earth orbit region. About 500 fragments appeared, spreading to altitudes between about 320 and 1,500 kilometres.

At the end of June 2024, another Chinese rocket failure occurred. This time, it was the Tianlong-3 launch vehicle, whose launch ended in disaster. The structure exploded within seconds after liftoff. A few days earlier, another serious failure occurred—the Long March 2C rocket fell on one of the Chinese villages. For these reasons, the Chinese space program is often criticized in the West for negligence and disregarding safety-related procedures.