Russian Rocket Body Shatters Into 16 Pieces In Space

A Russian space agency object shattered into 16 pieces in space last month adding to the issue of already piling up debris, U.S. Airforce unit The 18th Space Defense Squadron (18 SDS) said earlier this week.

What Happened: The debris from the shattered object identified as SL-12 R/B (#32398, 2007-065F) is trapped in low earth orbit.

SL-12 R/B (#32398, 2007-065F), a rocket body that was used to transport three Russian satellites into orbit back in 2007. 

So - this debris event was predictable and is well understood; still very unfortunate.

— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) May 3, 2022

Why It Matters: Space-related ventures have exploded recently, with several private companies including Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk's SpaceX, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (NYSE: SPCE) competing for a major market share.

SpaceX has been using reusable rockets to regularly launch space-related missions. It also aims to make life multi-planetary.

Other ventures, including Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak's startup, Privateer, aims to help humanity clear space debris.

See Also: Elon Musk-Led SpaceX's Orbital Debut With Starship Pushed Back Yet Again

Photo courtesy: NASA