Chinese rocket breaks apart in low-Earth orbit, creating a cloud of space debris, US Space Command says

One of China’s rockets has broken apart in orbit, creating a debris cloud. The rocket was launched to deploy satellites for the Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology group’s Thousand Sails constellation. Plans are underway to expand the constellation’s capacity to rival SpaceX’s Starlink. The US Space Command confirmed the rocket’s breakup and is tracking the debris. The International Space Station has not been immediately affected. Experts are analyzing the debris to determine the risks. This is the second time this type of rocket has experienced a significant breakup event in orbit. The incident highlights the importance of space debris mitigation guidelines and the need for space domain awareness capabilities.