NOAA 3 likely broke apart: 3 new pieces of debris

Since October 31, 2026, 3 new pieces from the launch of NOAA 3 (1973, US) have been added to the tracking catalog. Many new pieces from one old object at once usually mean it broke up: an explosion of leftover fuel or batteries, or a collision.

The pieces fly between 996 and 2580 km up.

At this height pieces can stay up for a century or more, a lasting hazard for other satellites.