An old Soviet satellite has broken apart in orbit some 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) above Earth, likely following a collision with space debris. The satellite, either the Kosmos-2143 or Kosmos-2145 spacecraft, was launched in 1991 as part of a constellation of eight Strela-1M communications satellites. The fragmentation of the satellite was reported on X, previously Twitter, by astrophysicist and space debris expert Jonathan McDowell on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
The event highlights the precarious situation in Earth’s orbit where old objects accumulated throughout the more than 60 years of space exploration and utilization are now posing threats to new, still functioning satellites. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), there are about 34,550 objects larger than 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Earth’s orbits that are tracked by ground-based radars. However, there are also some 1 million debris objects 0.4 to 4 inches (1 cm to 10 cm) in size and 130 million fragments smaller than 0.4 inches that are too small to be detected but still capable of causing damage to satellites and spacecraft.
Previous incidents involving Soviet satellites and space debris
This is not the first time that a Soviet satellite has been involved in a space debris incident. In February 2009, a satellite designated as Kosmos 2251 smashed into an operational satellite of the U.S. telecommunications company Iridium 490 miles (789 kilometers) above Earth, creating a giant cloud of space debris. That incident, together with a 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test, is responsible for the majority of space junk fragments currently hurtling around Earth.
In January this year, a dead Soviet spy satellite and a used Soviet rocket stage came within 20 feet (6 meters) of each other in a cluttered region about 600 miles (1,000 km) above Earth. A full-on collision between those two objects would have spawned thousands of new dangerous pieces of debris. Fortunately, the close encounter did not result in a crash, but it raised concerns over the increasing risk of orbital collisions.
Efforts to mitigate the space junk problem
The space junk problem is not only a threat to the safety and sustainability of space activities, but also a potential source of international conflict and liability. Several initiatives have been proposed or implemented to address the issue, such as:
- Space situational awareness: This involves monitoring and tracking the objects in orbit and sharing the information among different stakeholders to avoid collisions and plan maneuvers
2.
- Space traffic management: This involves establishing rules and norms for the behavior and responsibility of space actors, such as guidelines for orbital debris mitigation, registration of space objects, and notification of planned launches and reentries2.
- Active debris removal: This involves developing and deploying technologies to capture and remove or deorbit large and hazardous pieces of debris from orbit2.
- In-orbit servicing: This involves extending the lifespan and functionality of satellites by providing services such as refueling, repairing, upgrading, or relocating them in orbit2.
These efforts require international cooperation and coordination among various public and private entities involved in space activities. Some examples of such efforts are:
- The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC): This is an intergovernmental forum for the coordination of activities related to the issues of man-made and natural debris in space3.
- The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS): This is a United Nations body that deals with the governance and exploration of outer space.
- The Space Data Association (SDA): This is a non-profit association of satellite operators that shares high-accuracy orbital data and related information to support flight safety.
- The CONFERS initiative: This is a consortium of industry stakeholders that develops best practices and standards for commercial on-orbit servicing operations.
