The US Space Force reported on December 19th the breakup of a defunct military weather satellite, DMSP-5D2 F14, resulting in a significant amount of space debris. The fragmentation event occurred at approximately 9:10 p.m. Eastern on December 18th at an altitude of 840 kilometers. While the initial report did not specify the debris quantity, commercial space situational awareness companies, including LeoLabs and Slingshot Aerospace, independently tracked the event.
LeoLabs confirmed tracking more than 50 pieces of debris resulting from the DMSP-5D2 F14 breakup. Slingshot Aerospace, using optical ground stations, estimated the event occurred slightly earlier than the Space Force's report. The 750-kilogram satellite, launched in 1997 as part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, operated in a sun-synchronous orbit and was retired in 2020.
This incident is not isolated. The DMSP-5D2 F14 belongs to a series of satellites that have experienced similar in-orbit breakups, including F12 (October 2016), F13 (February 2015), and F11 (2004). A common factor is a battery assembly design flaw potentially causing explosions. Similar issues impacted civilian NOAA satellites, NOAA-16 (November 2015) and NOAA-17 (March 2021).
Many of these satellites underwent a "passivation" process before decommissioning, aiming to eliminate potential energy sources. However, experts suggest passivation might not fully address issues in older satellites designed before current debris mitigation practices were established. The ongoing debris problem highlights the challenges of managing and mitigating the risks associated with aging spacecraft.