The U.S. Space Force has identified a fragmentation event involving a retired military weather satellite, contributing to the ongoing issue of space debris.
On December 19, the U.S. Space Force reported the fragmentation of the DMSP-5D2 F14, a defunct military satellite, resulting in the creation of over 50 pieces of debris. This event occurred on December 18 at 9:10 p.m. Eastern at an altitude of 840 kilometers. However, Slingshot Aerospace, through its optical ground stations, suggested that the breakup happened earlier, estimating it took place before 8:15 p.m.
LeoLabs confirmed that their network tracked more than 50 fragments from the DMSP-5D2 F14 fragmentation. Originally launched in 1997 as part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, this 750-kilogram satellite functioned in a sun-synchronous orbit until its retirement in 2020.
The DMSP-5D2 F14 is not the only satellite from this program to experience such breakups. Previous incidents include the breakups of F12 in October 2016, F13 in February 2015, and F11 in 2004, each contributing significantly to the orbital debris problem. These satellites shared a common design flaw in their battery assembly, rendering them susceptible to explosion.
This design was also used in NOAA’s civilian polar-orbiting weather satellites, which have similarly disintegrated. Examples include NOAA-16 in November 2015 and NOAA-17 in March 2021. Despite undergoing a ‘passivation’ process at the end of their operational lives, intended to eliminate potential energy sources that could cause breakups, these satellites still fragmented. Experts suggest that this process may not have been entirely effective for older spacecraft, as standards for mitigating orbital debris were less stringent during their design and manufacture.
The recent breakup of the DMSP-5D2 F14 satellite highlights the persistent issue of space debris and underscores the need for improved mitigation strategies for aging satellites.
