List of space debris producing events#Recent events

There were 190 known satellite breakups between 1961 and 2006.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iafastro.net/iac/archive/browse/IAC-10/A6/2/6484/ |title=AN ANALYSIS OF RECENT MAJOR BREAKUPS IN THE LOW EARTH ORBIT REGION |access-date=2013-05-04 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031140/http://www.iafastro.net/iac/archive/browse/IAC-10/A6/2/6484/ |url-status=dead }}

By 2015, the total had grown to 250 on-orbit fragmentation events.

{{cite web |title=ESA Experts Assess Risk from Exploded Satellite |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Clean_Space/ESA_experts_assess_risk_from_exploded_satellite |website=www.esa.int |publisher=ESA |access-date=5 March 2015 }}

{{asof|2012}} there were an estimated 500,000 pieces of debris in orbit,{{cite web|url=http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/9353|title=DARPA wants army of networked amateur astronomers to watch sky for space junk, aliens|date=2012-11-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119052141/http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/9353|archive-date=2012-11-19|work=Stratrisks}} with 300,000 pieces below 2000 km (LEO). Of the total, about 20,000 are tracked.[http://images.spaceref.com/news/2009/ODMediaBriefing28Apr09-1.pdf The Threat of Orbital Debris and Protecting NASA Space Assets from Satellite Collisions (2009)] Also, about sixteen old Soviet nuclear space reactors are known to have released an estimated 100,000 NaK liquid metal coolant droplets 800–900 km up,[http://www.todaysengineer.org/2009/jul/space_debris.asp IEEE – The Growing Threat of Space Debris] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127022215/http://www.todaysengineer.org/2009/jul/space_debris.asp |date=2013-01-27 }} which range in size from 1 – 6 cm.

The greatest risk to space missions is from untracked debris between 1 and 10 cm in size. Large pieces can be tracked and avoided, and impact from smaller pieces are usually survivable.

class=wikitable style="text-align:center; margin:2px"
Date	Object	International Designation	Cause	Total Pieces	Pieces in Orbit	Reentered Pieces as of Dec 2022{{efn|The date when all rows were updated.}}
|August 31, 2018	Centaur V upper stage{{cite news |last1=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|title=Orbital Debris Quarterly News|url=https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i1.pdf|access-date=16 January 2020 |work=Space News |date=May 2019 }}	2014-055B	Unknown	107	107	0
|December 22, 2018	ORBCOMM FM-16	1998-046E	Energetic fragmentation; Probably caused by left over propellent	13	5	8
|January 24, 2019	Microsat-R{{cite news |last1=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|title=Orbital Debris Quarterly News|url=https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i3.pdf|access-date=4 February 2020 |work=Space News |date=August 2019 }}	2019-006A	ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test	129	0	129
|February 6, 2019	H2-A 202 Rocket Body	2018-084L	Unknown; Third known breakup of an H-2A Rocket Body	6	0	6
|February 6, 2019	H2-A 202 Payload Adapter	2018-084E	Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown	3	0	3
|April 2019	Centaur V Rocket Body	2018-079B	Energetic fragmentation event; Cause Unknown	193	192	1
|May 7, 2019	Titan IIIC Transtage rocket body{{cite news |last1=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|title=Orbital Debris Quarterly News|url=https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv23i4.pdf|access-date=4 February 2020 |work=Space News |date=November 2019 }}	1976-023F	Energetic fragmentation event by caused the overheating of leftover anhydrous hydrazine(N2H4) Mono Propellant	?{{efn|No fragments have entered the SSN catalog as 2022-09-22}}	?	?
|August 19, 2019	SOZ (Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska) ullage motor from a Proton Block DM fourth stage	2010-041H	Energetic fragmentation event; caused by left over fuel in the ullage motor. 30th fragmentation event of a SOZ unit. 34 intact units remain in orbit	23	23	0
|August 13, 2019	Ariane 42P third stage rocket body	1992-052D	Unknown	10	10	0
| December 23, 2019	Kosmos 2491	2013-076E	Unknown{{cite tweet |author-link=Jonathan McDowell |user=planet4589 |number=1216265783644389376 |title=Unlike the two later sats, Kosmos-2491 did not change its orbit. It appeared to end its mission in 2014. However, at about 1321 UTC on 2019 Dec 23, the satellite made a 1.5m/s orbit change and 10 debris objects have now been cataloged. |date=11 January 2020 |access-date=8 February 2023}}{{cite web |last=Berger |first=Eric |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/02/mysterious-russian-satellites-are-now-breaking-apart-in-low-earth-orbit/ |title=Mysterious Russian satellites are now breaking apart in low-Earth orbit |work=Ars Technica |date=8 February 2023 |access-date=8 February 2023}}	~20	~20	0
|May 8, 2020	Fregat tank{{cite news |last1=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|title=Orbital Debris Quarterly News|url=https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv24i4.pdf|access-date=22 September 2022 |work=NASA |date=August 2020 }}	2011-037B	Unknown, possibly explosion	346	280	66
|July 12, 2020	H2-A 202 Fairing	2018-084C	Collision with untracked debris	123	5	118
|March 18, 2021	Yunhai-1 02	2019-063A	Accidental collision with a fragment from the Zenit-2 rocket body that launched Tselina-2 in 1996.{{cite web |last=Wall |first=Mike |url=https://www.space.com/space-junk-collision-chinese-satellite-yunhai-1-02 |title=Space collision: Chinese satellite got whacked by hunk of Russian rocket in March |work=Space.com |date=17 August 2021 |access-date=18 August 2021}}	39	20	19
| November 15, 2021	Kosmos 1408	1982-092A	ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon system test	1787	394	1393
| November 12, 2022	Long March 6A upper stage	2022-151B	Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Andrew |date=2024-07-12 |title=China's Long March 6A rocket appears to have an orbital debris problem |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-long-march-6a-rocket-appears-to-have-an-orbital-debris-problem/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}{{Cite tweet |number=1821320706044653969 |user=S4S_SDA |title=#S4S has confirmed the breakup of a Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China, on Aug. 7, 2024. Analysis ongoing. #spacedebris #SDA @SpaceTrackOrg @US_SpaceCom |first=S4S_SDA |date=7 August 2024 |access-date=7 August 2024}}{{cite tweet|user=18thSDS|number=1591597224081108992|title=18th Space Defense Squadron confirmed breakup associated with CZ-6A Rocket Body - likely occurred Nov 12 at around 05:25 UTC.|date=12 November 2022|access-date=13 November 2022}}	781	722	59
|November 17, 2022	H2-A 202 Payload fairing	2012-025F	Energetic fragmentation event; Cause unknown{{cite tweet|user=18thSDS|number=1595476174267891712|title=18th Space Defense Squadron confirms breakup of H-2A DEB (#38345, 2012-025F)|date=23 November 2022|access-date=10 December 2022}}	50+	50+	0
| January 4, 2023	Kosmos 2499	2014-028E	Unknown	85	85	0
| March 11, 2023	Orbcomm F36	1999-065E	Unknown; likely energetic fragmentation event caused by a malfunction in the hydrazine orbit adjust system{{cite tweet |author=Orbital Focus |user=OrbitalFocus |number=1636692364914819076 |title=From Space-Track: The 18th Space Defense Squadron (18 SDS) has confirmed the breakup of Orbcomm FM 36 (#25984, 1999-065E), which likely occurred March 11, 2023, at approximately 0145 UTC. As of March 16, 18 SDS is tracking 7 associated pieces at an estimated 792 km altitude... |date=17 March 2023 |access-date=21 March 2023}}{{cite tweet |author-link=Jonathan McDowell |user=planet4589 |number=1636729839532101637 |title=The jump is a propulsive orbit adjust, which makes the likeliest cause some kind of bad event in the hydrazine orbit adjust system |date=17 March 2023 |access-date=21 March 2023}}	7	7	0
| August 21, 2023	Vega VV02 VESPA adapter	2013-021D	Unknown; likely debris impact{{cite tweet |author=Jonathan McDowell |user=planet4589 |number=1693810817760678191 |title=7 new debris objects cataloged from the Vega VV02 launch in a 23:50 LTDN sun-sync orbit, consistent with a breakup of the VESPA adapter upper section, object 39162. Possibly the result of an impact by a small object? |date=22 August 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Objects_detected_in_the_vicinity_of_ClearSpace-1_debris_removal_mission_target |title=Objects detected in the vicinity of ClearSpace-1 debris removal mission target |date=22 August 2023 |access-date=23 August 2023 |work=ESA}}	7	7	0
| March 26, 2024	Long March 6A upper stage	2024-058B	Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.	~60	~60	0
| June 26, 2024	Resurs-P No.1	2013-030A	Unknown; but may be related to improper spacecraft passivization{{cite press release |url=https://www.spacecom.mil/Newsroom/News/Article-Display/Article/3819238/press-release-break-up-of-russian-owned-space-object/ |title=Press Release: Break-up of Russian-owned space object |work=United States Space Command |date=27 June 2024 |access-date=27 June 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2024-06-27 |title=Russian satellite breaks up, creating debris in low Earth orbit |url=https://spacenews.com/russian-satellite-breaks-up-creating-debris-in-low-earth-orbit/ |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=SpaceNews }}	100+	100+	0
| July 4, 2024	Long March 6A upper stage	2024-126C	Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Andrew |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-long-march-6a-rocket-appears-to-have-an-orbital-debris-problem/ |title=China's Long March 6A rocket appears to have an orbital debris problem |work=SpaceNews |date=12 July 2024 |access-date=8 August 2024}}	?{{efn|No fragments have entered the SSN catalog as 2024-08-08}}	?	0
| August 6, 2024	Long March 6A upper stage	2024-140U	Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.	700–900+	700–900+	0
| September 6, 2024	Atlas V Centaur upper stage	2018-022B	Unknown;	40+	40+	0
| October 19, 2024	Intelsat 33e	2016-053B	Unknown; potential threat to all spacecraft in geostationary orbit, including the Russian satellites, Ekspress-AT1, Yamal-402, Ekspress-AM6 and Elektro-L;{{cite web |last=Rainbow |first=Jason |url=https://spacenews.com/intelsat-33e-loses-power-in-geostationary-orbit/ |title=Intelsat 33e breaks up in geostationary orbit |work=SpaceNews |date=19 October 2024 |access-date=21 October 2024}}{{cite web |last=Rainbow |first=Jason |url=https://spacenews.com/intelsat-33e-demise-exposes-vulnerabilities-in-the-space-domain/ |title=Intelsat 33e demise exposes vulnerabilities in the space domain |work=SpaceNews |date=10 December 2024 |access-date=11 December 2024 |quote=Clint Clark, ExoAnalytic Solutions chief growth officer and vice president of first impressions, said the company has identified a cloud of more than 700 pieces of debris following the Oct. 19 incident.}}	700+	700+	0
| February 9, 2025	New Glenn upper stage+Blue Ring	2025-011A	Energetic fragmentation event;{{cn|date=April 2025}} Cause Unknown; but may be related to upper stage passivization or insulation.	67	67	0

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Space debris