Meteor 2-7 satellite fragments in orbit, creating space debris

The Soviet-era weather satellite Meteor 2-7, which has been inactive for decades, fragmented in low-Earth orbit on October 5, 2026. The breakup was detected by the space-tracking company LeoLabs via a radar station in Western Australia.

At an altitude of approximately 856 kilometers, the fragmentation has created dozens of new pieces of debris. Experts warn that at this altitude, the thin atmosphere provides little drag, meaning the debris could remain in orbit for centuries or even millennia. This incident is part of what LeoLabs describes as a ‘worrying trend for space safety and security,’ noting several similar debris-generating events involving various international satellites over the past six months.

Such fragmentation events increase the risk of the Kessler effect, a theoretical cascade where collisions create more debris, leading to further collisions. This could eventually threaten active spacecraft and jeopardize future space exploration and satellite operations.