Chinese rocket stage explodes, creating new space debris
A Chinese Long March 6A rocket upper stage exploded in low Earth orbit on October 15, 2025, generating thousands of debris pieces. This incident marks a rare recent addition to orbital litter, as most spacefaring nations have curbed such events. Experts warn it underscores ongoing challenges in space sustainability.
The explosion occurred shortly after the successful launch of the Shijian-21 satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China. According to space tracking data, the upper stage, which had been in orbit since its deployment, suffered a failure leading to a breakup event. This created over 300 trackable debris objects larger than 10 centimeters, with models estimating thousands of smaller fragments that pose collision risks to satellites and the International Space Station.
Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who maintains the public satellite catalog, noted the significance of the event. "This is the first major uncontrolled reentry or explosion generating significant debris since the 2021 Chinese Long March 5B incident," McDowell said in a statement. He highlighted that while global efforts have reduced debris generation, China's activities remain a notable exception.
Background context reveals a shift in international practices. Since the early 2010s, agencies like NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos have implemented passivation techniques—such as venting propellants and depleting batteries—to prevent post-mission explosions. The U.S. Space Force and NORAD have tracked a decline in new debris from these nations. In contrast, this Long March 6A event adds to concerns about China's launch cadence, which has increased rapidly with over 60 missions in 2025 alone.
The implications are substantial for low Earth orbit, where congestion from Starlink, OneWeb, and other constellations heightens collision probabilities. The European Space Agency estimates that such debris could trigger the Kessler syndrome, a cascading effect rendering orbits unusable. No immediate threats were reported to crewed missions, but monitoring has intensified.
Chinese authorities have not commented publicly on the cause, though preliminary analyses suggest a battery or fuel residue ignition. This incident renews calls for a binding international treaty on space debris mitigation, as discussed at the recent UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.