Chinese ‘Thousand Sails’ satellite launch ends in rocket malfunction, space debris

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IN A SIGNIFICANT PUSH INTO SPACE, CHINA RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE FIRST 18 SATELLITES FOR ITS AMBITIOUS “THOUSAND SAILS” INTERNET MEGA CONSTELLATION WITH A LONG MARCH 6A ROCKET. THESE SATELLITES ARE PART OF CHINA’S BROADER PLAN TO DEPLOY UP TO 14-THOUSAND SATELLITES TO PROVIDE GLOBAL BROADBAND COVERAGE, MIRRORING INITIATIVES LIKE SPACEX’S STARLINK.

HOWEVER, THE MISSION ENCOUNTERED A MAJOR SETBACK WHEN THE ROCKET’S UPPER STAGE BROKE APART AFTER DELIVERING THE SATELLITES INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT, CREATING A CLOUD OF OVER 300 PIECES OF TRACKABLE DEBRIS.

THIS INCIDENT HAS RAISED ALARMS ABOUT SPACE SAFETY, GIVEN THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF SUCH DEBRIS HITTING OTHER SPACECRAFT OR SATELLITES.

THE UNITED STATES SPACE COMMAND CONFIRMED THE INCIDENT THURSDAY AND HAS BEEN ACTIVELY MONITORING THE DEBRIS, ENSURING THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE THREATS TO SPACE OPERATIONS OR SAFETY.

THIS DEVELOPMENT HAS PROMPTED CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF SPACE CONGESTION DUE TO FREQUENT LAUNCHES, ESPECIALLY AS THE GLOBAL DEMAND FOR SATELLITE NETWORKS GROWS.

WITH APPROXIMATELY 10-THOUSAND OPERATIONAL SPACECRAFT CURRENTLY IN ORBIT, MOSTLY FROM SPACEX’S STARLINK CONSTELLATION, AND AN ESTIMATED 40-THOUSAND PIECES OF DEBRIS LARGER THAN 4 INCHES, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SPACE DEBRIS ARE INCREASING.

EXPERTS EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE DEBRIS MITIGATION GUIDELINES TO PREVENT FURTHER ACCUMULATION OF SPACE JUNK, WHICH COULD POSE A RISK TO BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS.

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