--- title: "Mysterious Russian Satellite Explodes" description: "According to the US Space Force, a mysterious Russian satellite broke apart in orbit early last month, leaving at least 85 pieces of space debris behind." date: "2023-02-08" modified: "2023-02-08" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/mysterious-russian-satellite-explodes" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "satellites" - "space debris" - "space junk" - "the digest" --- # Mysterious Russian Satellite Explodes ![According to the US Space Force, a mysterious Russian satellite broke apart in orbit early last month, leaving at least 85 pieces of space debris behind.]() *\Image: ESA\* ## Oh, Good According to the Guardians of the US Space Force, a mysterious Russian satellite broke apart in orbit early last month, leaving a trail of at least 85 pieces of potentially dangerous space debris in its wake. The [mighty watchful eyes]() over at America's 18th Space Defense Squadron [tweeted]() the news on Monday, noting that the left-behind junk is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 726 miles. That's pretty far away, at least for now — [per *Space.com*](), it'll likely take over a century for our atmosphere to drag the debris back down to our planet. https://twitter.com/18thSDS/status/1622752004388032512 ## Extremely Mysterious Object We don't know much about the satellite that disintegrated dubbed Kosmos 2499 — let alone why. What we *do* know, according to [*RussianSpaceWeb.com's* Anatoly Zak](), is that the "ghost" satellite was launched back in 2013 alongside three Rodnik military communications satellites. But when it was originally launched, it wasn't officially listed in the launch manifest. American satellites initially clocked it as just an "object," but when it started to suddenly move, the US, per Zak's reporting, re-classified the object as a "payload" in October of 2014. The rumor, according to *Space.com*, was that Roscosmos had been attempting to secretly test a chase-and-track spacecraft, possibly designed to disarm or scramble other satellites. Per *Space.com*, Roscosmos later defended the craft in a December 2014 press conference, claiming that its purpose was for research only. ## Zip and Zoom On Alas, Kosmos 2499's days of ominously zipping through outer space are now over. Worse yet, the satellite's many fragments are only adding to our ever-growing space junk problem. As *Space.com* notes, the European Space Agency is tracking 36,500 pieces of human-made orbital debris currently floating around our planet; if you include non-trackable space litter, that number is probably in the millions. And it's a very real issue [for astronauts]() — spacewalks, for example, are becoming increasingly more dangerous — and even people back down on the surface, who will likely see an increase in incidents involving falling space junk [damaging properties and infrastructure](), and even [harming humans](). In any case, so long, Kosmos 2499. Die knowing that the trash you leave behind may indeed mess with satellites, rockets, and even [space stations]() in the future. ****READ MORE:**** [*Mysterious Russian satellite breaks up in orbit, generating cloud of debris*]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Russian space debris:** [*Russia Forced to Dodge Space Debris From When It Blew Up Satellite*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()