China recently attempted a space mission inspired by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink but faced a setback. The Long March 6A rocket, launched with 18 Qianfan satellites, broke into over 300 pieces.
The Long March 6A rocket was launched on August 6, 2024, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province. It initially traveled up to 800 kilometers into space. The rocket, designed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Innovation Center in Shanghai, has now become space debris.
According to the US Space Command (USSPACECOM), the rocket broke apart in low Earth orbit, creating more than 300 fragments. Currently, there is no immediate threat from this debris, and the space environment remains safe.
China’s Long March 6A rocket was part of the Qianfan Mega Project, which aims to improve communication services in China. The Qianfan network, created by the Shanghai-based company SpaceCell, plans to launch over 15,000 low Earth orbit satellites over time. By the end of 2024, the company plans to launch about 108 satellites and around 648 by the end of 2025.
In comparison, SpaceX’s Starlink has already deployed over 6,000 satellites and has over 3 million customers in 100 countries.
