China's Long March 6C rocket disintegrates in orbit

The upper stage of China's Long March 6C launch vehicle disintegrated in low Earth orbit due to an unexpected failure. According to ixbt.com, this incident occurred just two days after the successful launch of seven satellites, resulting in the creation of dozens, possibly hundreds, of new debris fragments in space. This is reported by news source.

According to reports, the spacecraft successfully launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on August 25 and deployed all planned payloads into orbit. However, approximately forty-eight hours later, LeoLabs tracking systems detected numerous new objects around the remaining upper stage in orbit.

Scale and risk of space debris

The first signs of disintegration were recorded by a company radar in Western Australia. Subsequently, observations from another station in New Zealand fully confirmed the event. Preliminary measurements indicate the breakup occurred on August 27 while the stage was moving in an elliptical orbit ranging from approximately 396 to 482 kilometers.

The exact number of fragments generated remains unknown. Experts estimate the scale of the incident to be in the range of dozens or hundreds of new pieces, all of which are currently continuing to move along nearby trajectories.

Recurring incidents

According to statistical data provided by LeoLabs, this is the third such incident in the last four years involving the disintegration of Long March 6 family rocket stages in low Earth orbit. The first such emergency was recorded on November 12, 2022, and the second occurred on August 6, 2024.

Nevertheless, experts point to some reassuring factors. Specifically, the relatively low altitude of the orbits mitigates the situation. Atmospheric drag in the upper layers will gradually slow these fragments down, ensuring they enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up completely within a few years.

At present, the exact cause of the upper stage's disintegration remains unknown. Investigations to determine the technical reasons are being conducted by authorized agencies and experts.