Low-intensity explosion caused Russian satellite to spew debris
When is Resurs P1 expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere?
Resurs P1, a defunct Russian remote sensing satellite, is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere later this year5. The satellite was decommissioned in 2021 and its orbit, currently about 355 kilometers, will continue to decay until it ultimately reenters the atmosphere.
What caused the Russian satellite Resurs P1 to break up?
The cause of the breakup of the Russian satellite Resurs P1 is still unclear. However, LeoLabs, a private space situational awareness provider, believes that a "low-intensity explosion" either from a collision or within the spacecraft itself created the debris. This explosion could have been triggered by external stimuli such as an impact by a small fragment or an internal structural failure leading to a propulsion system failure.
How many debris pieces were created from Resurs P1's breakup?
The breakup of the Resurs P1 satellite created more than 100 pieces of trackable debris in low Earth orbit1. LeoLabs, a company that monitors low Earth orbit with a global network of radars, reported the event and estimated that the breakup resulted in at least 250 debris fragments at altitudes extending as high as 500 kilometers.