tech
Analyst on China's spent rocket stages: "Things only continue to get worse"
Spent upper stages are the most dangerous kind of space debris.
TL;DR
- China's orbital rocket launches increased from under 20 per year a decade ago to 93 in the past year, making it the second-most productive space power.
- China is not following best practices for disposing of upper rocket stages, which are large, heavy, and uncontrollable pieces of space debris.
- The mass of Chinese rocket bodies in long-lived orbits has grown significantly in the past five years to 252 metric tons.
- This practice is problematic as these rocket bodies are the most concerning type of space debris and cannot be maneuvered.
- China's deployment of satellite megaconstellations is driving the increased launch rate and, consequently, the accumulation of spent stages.
- Unlike China, most space-faring nations and private companies have adopted responsible disposal methods for rocket upper stages.