Shocking Breakup of Retired Military Weather Satellite Sparks Concerns Over Space Debris!

WASHINGTON — In a startling incident, a defunct military weather satellite has disintegrated in orbit, generating over 50 pieces of debris and raising alarms in the aerospace community. This event, reported by the U.S. Space Force on December 19, involved the DMSP-5D2 F14 spacecraft and took place at an altitude of 840 kilometers on December 18 at precisely 9:10 p.m. Eastern Time.

While the Space Force confirmed the "low-velocity fragmentation event," they did not provide specifics about the volume of debris created. However, leading space situational awareness companies, LeoLabs and Slingshot Aerospace, quickly jumped on the case, reporting that they had pinpointed the breakup to as early as 8:15 p.m. on the same day, prompting further scrutiny of the timing discrepancies.

LeoLabs disclosed on December 20 that their radar systems were tracking more than 50 fragments resulting from the fragmentation of DMSP-5D2 F14. This 750-kilogram satellite, launched in 1997 as part of the storied Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, had been observing weather patterns until its retirement in 2020. Despite no longer being operational, it had remained within its sun-synchronous orbit.

Notably, the DMSP-5D2 F14 is not an isolated case; it belongs to a troubling lineage of satellite breakups. Previous events involving the family of satellites occurred in October 2016 (F12), February 2015 (F13), and in 2004 (F11), which resulted in 56 tracked pieces of debris. Experts have identified a persistent flaw in the battery assemblies of these satellites, making them prone to explosive failures.

The dilemma is not limited to military technology. Similar designs have been utilized in a series of civilian polar-orbiting weather satellites managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For instance, the NOAA-16 satellite disintegrated in November 2015, and NOAA-17 followed in March 2021, further compounding the debris problem.

Despite attempts to mitigate issues associated with decommissioned satellites — including a process known as "passivation" that involves draining batteries and venting fuel tanks to prevent explosions long after retirement — many older satellites still pose a risk. Experts warn that this process may not be entirely effective for aging technology designed before current orbital debris mitigation standards were established.

The prospect of increasing space debris raises significant concerns for future space missions and satellite operations. As the orbital environment becomes more crowded with defunct satellites and fragments, the potential for collisions grows, emphasizing the urgent need for better debris management strategies.

Stay tuned as we continue to monitor developments in this critical area of space safety!