7-Ton Russian Satellite Breaks Apart, Creates Space Debris

A decommissioned Russian satellite has broken apart, creating dangerous space debris in low-Earth orbit, according to US Space Command. 

The satellite, RESURS-P1, appears to have created “over 100 pieces of trackable debris,” the US agency said on Thursday. The disruption briefly caused the crew onboard the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour, NASA added.  

The fragments from RESURS-P1 are particularly dangerous since space debris can travel up to 18,000 miles per hour. Fortunately, US Space Command says it's "observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain."

The satellite monitoring company, Leo Labs, initially detected the debris from RESURS-P1 on Wednesday. At the time, the retired Russian satellite was orbiting the Earth at about 355 kilometers (220 miles), or below the International Space Station and SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. 

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Although Space Command says the debris doesn’t appear to be a threat, Leo Labs detected over 180 fragments resulting from the satellite’s collapse, an increase from around 100.

“We expect this number to increase in the coming days. We are actively analyzing the debris cloud to characterize it, identify a potential cause, and estimate the impact," the company added. 

RESURS-P1 was a sizable satellite, measuring 6,570 kilograms or 14,484 pounds, increasing the risk of more debris. It's unclear what caused the satellite to collapse. Possible reasons include an internal battery combusting, RESURS-P1 colliding with existing space junk, or even Russia testing another anti-satellite missile as it did in 2021.  

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In the meantime, astronomer Jonathan McDowell notes that RESURS-P1 was already headed back toward Earth, with the satellite expected to re-enter the atmosphere later this year. 

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So far, Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, has yet to comment on the satellite’s demise.