US Space Force Confirms Mystery Break Up of Cold War-Era 'Spy Satellite'
The debris from the USA 32 satellite doesn't appear to pose any immediate threat, the U.S. military said.
The U.S. Space Force has confirmed the mysterious breakup of a Cold War-era spy satellite, known as USA 32, during its orbital journey around the Earth. The satellite disintegrated on September 13 at approximately 9:13 p.m. UTC (4:13 p.m. EDT). The cause of the fragmentation remains unknown as investigators continue their analysis.
As per convention, satellites often break apart, adding to the existing "space junk" orbiting the Earth, but this particular debris could potentially pose a threat to other objects in orbit. In June 2024, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had to seek shelter for about an hour following a Russian satellite's disintegration.
The U.S. military currently does not have any information about immediate threats from the USA 32 satellite. The USA 32 satellite, also referred to as the NORAD 19460 satellite, was launched in 1988 by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a Pentagon agency. Several media outlets identified the satellite as a Cold War-era spy satellite; however, Newsweek has sought further clarification from the U.S. Space Forces–Space (S4S).
Swiss space company s2a systems shared a clip on X, showcasing recordings of numerous fragments from the USA 32. Unfortunately, Newsweek has been unable to independently verify this footage. The majority of space debris is found in low-Earth orbit, which is defined as the space up to 2,000 kilometers away from Earth. The ISS, along with satellite constellations for real-time communication and internet, like Elon Musk's Starlink, also operate in low-Earth orbit.
Satellites in orbits further from Earth are generally more suitable for navigation systems like GPS or specific types of satellite imagery. Old satellites, along with rocket parts or abandoned spacecraft, occupy orbits that are no longer useful. As of 2022, over 9,000 metric tons of space debris was orbiting the Earth, according to NASA.
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently raised concerns about the increasing number of debris in certain orbits due to new satellite constellations, stating that not enough older satellites are deorbiting when their lifespan ends, leading to a growing collision risk. On average, at least three intact satellites or rocket bodies re-enter the Earth's atmosphere daily, as reported by the ESA.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
