Orbital events
A reference timeline of the moments that shaped today's orbital environment — anti-satellite weapon tests, satellite breakups and collisions, and uncontrolled reentries. Each entry links to debris detail and sources.
- breakup· 2024
Intelsat 33e breakup in geostationary orbit (October 2024)
The Intelsat 33e communications satellite broke apart in geostationary orbit, a total loss that disrupted service and scattered fragments at ~35,800 km.
- breakup· 2024
Long March 6A upper-stage breakup (August 2024)
After a Qianfan constellation launch, a Long March 6A upper stage fragmented near 810 km, creating hundreds of trackable debris pieces tracked by LeoLabs and US Space Command.
- reentry· 2022
Long March 5B uncontrolled reentry (July 2022)
The 23-ton CZ-5B core stage from the Wentian launch made an uncontrolled reentry over the Sulu Sea and Borneo. Debris was reported in Sarawak, Malaysia.
- asat· 2021
Cosmos 1408 ASAT test (November 2021)
Russian direct-ascent anti-satellite test destroyed the defunct Tselina-D satellite Cosmos 1408, creating ~1,500 cataloged debris fragments. ISS crews sheltered in their return capsules. The cloud will keep deorbiting through 2030+.
- asat· 2019
Mission Shakti — India anti-satellite test (March 2019)
India destroyed its own Microsat-R satellite with a ground-launched interceptor at about 283 km, becoming the fourth nation to demonstrate an anti-satellite weapon.
- reentry· 2018
Tiangong-1 uncontrolled reentry (April 2018)
China's first space station prototype made an uncontrolled reentry over the southern Pacific Ocean after ground controllers lost contact in 2016.
- breakup· 2009
Iridium 33 / Cosmos 2251 collision (February 2009)
The first major accidental satellite collision in history. Active Iridium-33 collided with defunct Cosmos-2251 at 789 km, producing ~2,200 cataloged fragments.
- asat· 2008
USA-193 intercept — Operation Burnt Frost (February 2008)
A US Navy SM-3 missile destroyed the failed reconnaissance satellite USA-193 at about 247 km; officials cited the risk from its full hydrazine fuel tank.
- asat· 2007
Fengyun-1C ASAT test (January 2007)
Chinese ASAT test destroyed the defunct Fengyun-1C weather satellite at 865 km altitude, creating ~3,000 cataloged debris fragments — still the worst single debris-creation event in history.
- reentry· 1979
Skylab uncontrolled reentry (July 1979)
NASA's first space station re-entered uncontrolled, scattering debris over the southern Indian Ocean and sparsely populated Western Australia.