With the goal of creating its own satellite megaconstellation akin to Starlink, China effectively launched the first components of its “Thousand Sails” satellite internet program earlier this week. On August 6, 2024, the mission was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, and it successfully delivered eighteen communication satellites. But the Long March 6A rocket that carried these satellites into orbit has already disintegrated, leaving behind an enormous cloud of debris.
A worrying situation has emerged in space as a result of the rocket’s upper stage disintegrating. Currently circling at a height of about 500 miles (800 kilometers), the debris cloud is made up of hundreds of particles. At least 300 bits of trackable trash are presently floating in orbit, according to US Space Command, and up to 900 fragments, according to independent space monitoring company LeoLabs. While most spacecraft are not immediately in danger from this debris, long-term dangers may arise because of its high altitude, which might take decades for it to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere.
Of greatest risk is the Thousand Sails satellites operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST). Debris cloud intersects with his fleet’s orbits: endangering the success of this ambitious program. While the US Space Command has said that the debris does not threaten American space operations at this time, it is alarming to think of so many more fragments added to what was already an extremely cluttered orbit.
The reason for the rocket’s break-up is not known. Long March 6A is a new variant capable of multiple engine ignitions to reach higher orbits; this may have contributed to the failure. If this problem repeats on future launches, then more debris would mean that space around Earth is much more hazardous and it will be very difficult for future operations of space by all nations.