--- title: "Ancient Russian Rocket Debris Suddenly Explodes in Orbit" description: "A Russian rocket part, which has spent more than a decade in orbit, suddenly exploded into at least 16 potentially dangerous piece of space debris." date: "2022-05-05" modified: "2022-05-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ancient-russian-rocket-debris-explodes" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "Russia" - "space debris" - "the digest" --- # Ancient Russian Rocket Debris Suddenly Explodes in Orbit ![A Russian rocket part, which has spent more than a decade in orbit, suddenly exploded into at least 16 potentially dangerous piece of space debris.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Time Bomb A Russian rocket part, which has spent more than a decade drifting around the Earth, suddenly exploded into many potentially dangerous pieces of space debris that could end up [threatening the lives of astronauts]() and satellites. This week, the US Space Force [confirmed]() the part, a zero-g ullage motor of a Russian rocket, broke up on April 15. Experts at the Space Force are now tracking at least 16 of the resulting pieces. That leaves the obvious question: why did it explode after orbiting for over a decade? One big clue is the fact that the motor likely had residual rocket propellant inside of it. "It’s sort of like a little bit of a time bomb, but without an actual timer," Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell [told *Gizmodo*](). ## Popping Off According to McDowell, at least 54 motors just like it have already disintegrated in space already, and 64 more remain still in orbit. "When I saw this, I was massively unsurprised," he told *Gizmodo*. "These things have been popping off once or twice a year for many years, and it’s really been a problem." The latest motor to have exploded likely came from a Soviet rocket, originally designed during the Cold War. Fortunately, Russia's more modern rockets should avoid this problem. Newer rockets, McDowell explained, discard or deactivate anything that could potentially blow up before the end of their mission, a process known as "spacecraft passivation." ## Clogged Up Despite the assurances, the latest explosion is adding to an already substantial problem. Experts at NASA are tracking tens of thousands of pieces of debris that are large enough to threaten human space explorers and other robotic missions. That also makes future missions into orbit a lot more dangerous, the unfortunate outcome of our past carelessness. **READ MORE:** [Russian Motor Spontaneously Explodes in Orbit, Creating Debris Cloud]() \[*Gizmodo*\] **More on space debris:** *[Elon Musk Says Starlink Satellites Had to Swerve Out of the Way of Debris]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()