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.
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.The Threat of Orbital Debris and Protecting NASA Space Assets from Satellite Collisions (2009) 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,IEEE – The Growing Threat of Space Debris 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, August 2024 Object Year Pieces NotesFengyun-1C 2007 3,549 Intentional collision (ASAT)Kosmos 2251 2009 1,716 Accidental collision with Iridium 33Kosmos 1408 2021 1,562 Intentional collision (ASAT) Long March 6A upper stage 2024 700–900+ Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation. Long March 6A upper stage 2022 781 Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation with later debris cloud expansion.STEP 2 Rocket Body 1996 756 Residual propellant explosionIridium 33 2009 659 Accidental collision with Kosmos 2251Kosmos 2421 2008 511 DisintegratedSPOT 1 Rocket Body 1986 506 Residual propellant explosionParus 1981 482 Battery explosionOV2-1 Rocket Body 1965 473 Engine explosionNimbus 4 Rocket Body 1970 465 Residual propellant explosionNOAA-16 2015 458 Battery explosionTES Rocket Body 2001 373 Residual propellant explosionCBERS-1 Rocket Body 2000 344 Residual propellant explosionFregat tank 2020 338 Residual propellant explosionAblestar 1961 320 Residual propellant explosionDelta 2910 1975 313 Residual propellant explosionSolwind 1985 289 Intentional collision (ASAT)
Recent events
Date Object International Designation Cause Total Pieces Pieces in Orbit Reentered Pieces as of Dec 2022August 31, 2018Centaur V upper stage2014-055B Unknown 1071070December 22, 2018ORBCOMM FM-16 1998-046E Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent 1358January 24, 2019Microsat-R2019-006A ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test 1290129February 6, 2019H2-A 202 Rocket Body2018-084L Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body 606February 6, 2019H2-A 202 Payload Adapter2018-084E Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown 303April 2019Centaur V Rocket Body2018-079B Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown 1931921May 7, 2019Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body1976-023F Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant ???August 19, 2019SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage2010-041HEnergetic fragmentation event; caused by left over fuel in the ullage motor. 30th fragmentation event of a SOZ unit. 34 intact units remain in orbit 23230August 13, 2019Ariane 42P third stage rocket body1992-052D Unknown 10100 December 23, 2019 Kosmos 2491 2013-076E Unknown ~20~200May 8, 2020 Fregat tank2011-037B Unknown, possibly explosion 34628066July 12, 2020 H2-A 202 Fairing2018-084C Collision with untracked debris 1235118March 18, 2021 Yunhai-1 022019-063A Accidental collision with a fragment from the Zenit-2 rocket body that launched Tselina-2 in 1996. 392019 November 15, 2021 Kosmos 1408 1982-092A ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test 17873941393 November 12, 2022 Long March 6A upper stage 2022-151B Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation. 78172259November 17, 2022H2-A 202 Payload fairing2012-025F Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown50+50+0 January 4, 2023 Kosmos 2499 2014-028E Unknown 85850 March 11, 2023 Orbcomm F36 1999-065E Unknown; likely energetic fragmentation event caused by a malfunction in the hydrazine orbit adjust system 770 August 21, 2023 Vega VV02 VESPA adapter 2013-021D Unknown; likely debris impact 770 June 26, 2024 Resurs-P No.1 2013-030A Unknown; but may be related to improper spacecraft passivization 10019? July 4, 2024 Long March 6A upper stage 2024-126C Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation. 440? August 6, 2024 Long March 6A upper stage 2024-140U Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation. 700+663? September 6, 2024 Atlas V Centaur upper stage 2018-022B Unknown; 843+843? October 19, 2024 Intelsat 33e 2016-053B Unknown; potential threat to all spacecraft in geostationary orbit, including the Russian satellites, Ekspress-AT1, Yamal-402, Ekspress-AM6 and Elektro-L; 1104+1104? February 9, 2025 New Glenn upper stage+Blue Ring 2025-011A Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.67670
References