Chinese Rocket Upper Stage Breaks Apart in Low-Earth Orbit

The upper stage of a commercial Chinese rocket, which launched on June 9, has broken apart in low-Earth orbit, releasing debris in an area that includes the International Space Station and a portion of SpaceX's Starlink broadband network. The breakup occurred shortly after the Zhuque-2E rocket reached orbit with two satellites intended for direct-to-cell communications. The US Space Force confirmed the event through a post on space-track.org, a platform for public orbit data. The Space Force stated, 'The tracked pieces are being incorporated into routine conjunction assessment to support spaceflight safety.' They also noted that there are currently no threats to human spaceflight and that analysis is ongoing.