SJ-5 likely broke apart: 5 new pieces of debris
Breakup · When
Tue, Oct 13 · 11:15:14 PM
Since October 13, 2026, 5 new pieces from the launch of SJ-5 (1999, PRC) 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 681 and 1403 km up.
At this height pieces can stay up for decades.
New pieces
Found automatically from the U.S. Space Force tracking catalog (Space-Track.org), not an official announcement.