Analyst on China's spent rocket stages: "Things only continue to get worse"
China's rapid increase in rocket launches has led to a significant rise in the mass of spent rocket stages in orbit. This growth poses a risk to space sustainability, as these upper stages are often abandoned in long-lived orbits. Experts warn that if China does not adopt better disposal practices, the situation will worsen, contributing to an already congested space environment.
- ▪China launched a record total of 93 rockets last year, marking it as the second-most productive space power.
- ▪The mass of Chinese rocket bodies in long-lived orbits has increased from less than 100 metric tons to 252 in the past five years.
- ▪Experts emphasize that abandoning rocket bodies in orbit is not a best practice and could lead to increased space debris.
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Space junk Analyst on China’s spent rocket stages: “Things only continue to get worse” Spent upper stages are the most dangerous kind of space debris. Eric Berger – May 26, 2026 9:57 am | 2 Growth in rocket body mass in long-lived orbits since January 2022. Credit: Jim Shell Growth in rocket body mass in long-lived orbits since January 2022. Credit: Jim Shell Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Up until a decade ago, China had never launched as many as 20 orbital rockets a year. But beginning in 2022, the Asian country launched 64 rockets and last year reached a record total of 93, marking it as the second-most productive space power in the world.
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