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Slingshot Aerospace First to Detect August 6 Chinese Rocket Body Breakup
Originally published on X on August 7, 2024 - 11:13 AM PT
Originally published on LinkedIn on August 7, 2024 - 3:15 PM PT
Following China's launch of 18 G60 satellites on August 6th, Slingshot is tracking over 50 pieces of space debris that pose a significant hazard to LEO constellations below 800 km altitude. The images below highlight a number of key insights derived from Slingshot Global Sensor Network (SGSN) data that are being used to inform space operators of this developing event and ensure that they can keep their spacecraft safe. In order to better equip operators with the most timely data available, preliminary TLEs derived from SGSN data are available for download here (for all fragments the SGSN has been tracking): https://lnkd.in/gcTx8zVb
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The chart above visualizes data collected by the Slingshot Global Sensor Network, including key orbital parameters for the objects (orbital period, apogee, and perigee), which highlight that their orbits cross through heavily populated orbital altitudes as they continue to move away from the center of the debris cloud.
The second and third images above are composite images from Slingshot’s LEO-focused Horus optical fences, which detected a series of bright, unexpected objects moving along the same orbital path as the rocket body and the G60 satellites it deployed. These uncued detections have allowed Slingshot to execute additional tasking on these objects to gather more detailed information that will support subsequent tracking and object characterization.
Why This Matters
The August 6 launch of 18 G60 satellites onboard a Long March 6 rocket is the first deployment for the Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) group’s Thousand Sails constellation – which is expected to initially consist of 1,296 satellites, with plans to expand to around 15,000 (as reported by Payload).
“If even a fraction of the launches needed to field this Chinese mega-constellation generate as much debris as this first launch, the result would be a notable addition to the space debris population in LEO,” said Audrey Schaffer, Vice President of Strategy and Policy. “Events like this highlight the importance of adherence to existing space debris mitigation guidelines to reduce the creation of new space debris and underscore the need for robust space domain awareness capabilities to rapidly detect, track, and catalog newly-launched space objects so they can be screened for potential conjunctions.”
𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: This isn’t the first time that a Long March 6 satellite launch has generated debris in LEO. In November 2022, a Long March 6 breakup led to hundreds of pieces of debris as reported in NASA’s Orbital Debris Quarterly News.
More Coverage:
SpaceNews: Chinese megaconstellation launch creates field of space debris
Newsweek: US Space Command detects Chinese rocket debris in Earth orbit
Reuters: Chinese rocket's breakup puts over 1,000 satellites and other objects at risk
The Sun: Reckless Chinese rocket launch leaves huge cloud of dangerous space junk
Space.com: Chinese rocket breaks apart after megaconstellation launch, creating cloud of space junk
Gizmodo: Chinese Rocket Breaks Apart in Orbit, Leaves Dangerous Trail of Debris in Space
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