Experts Warn China's Rocket Debris Could Remain in Orbit for Decades

Photo : Reuters

Despite China's assurances about space debris mitigation, experts are increasingly worried about the long-term risks posed by recent incidents. On August 6, China's Long March 6A rocket, which had successfully launched 18 Qianfan satellites, disintegrated in low Earth orbit, generating nearly 300 pieces of trackable debris.

The Qianfan satellites were intended to create a Chinese equivalent of Elon Musk's Starlink, known as the Qianfan ("Thousand Sails") broadband network. The rocket was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi Province, North China.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the breakup of the rocket has raised new concerns about Beijing's approach to managing space debris. LeoLabs, a US-based space-tracking company, estimates that the incident could result in up to 700 fragments floating approximately 500 miles above Earth. This makes it one of the largest rocket breakups on record. Although Starlink has indicated that the debris does not pose an immediate threat to its satellites, the fragments are expected to remain in orbit for decades due to their high-altitude trajectory.

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The increasing frequency of rocket launches by China and other nations heightens the risk to both human spaceflight and satellite operations. However, there is limited global regulation to address these unsustainable practices. Quentin Parker, Director of the Laboratory for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong, likened the situation to the "Wild West," noting the challenges in enforcing space debris management.

Darren McKnight, a senior technical fellow at LeoLabs, expressed concern over China's track record with space debris, particularly with Long March 6 launches. He hopes that this incident will prompt China to engage more actively in international discussions on space debris.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated that China "attaches great importance to space debris mitigation" and has taken steps to meet international obligations. However, specific details about the measures taken following the recent rocket breakup were not provided.

The report also highlighted ongoing issues with Chinese space activities, referencing an uncontrolled re-entry of a Chinese rocket stage into the Sulu Sea in 2022, which drew criticism from NASA for inadequate data provision. Major pieces of debris have been associated with Chinese rocket launches, including those involving the Long March 6A, which have been criticized for their contribution to space junk. While other countries have shown better practices, China's space operations have been a significant source of debris impacting low-Earth orbit.

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