A Chinese Long March 6A rocket’s upper stage has fragmented into over 700 pieces of space debris, raising concerns about orbital safety.

The rocket, launched on August 6 carrying 18 satellites, experienced a breakup event confirmed by U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) on August 8.

Initially, 50 pieces of debris were detected, but further analysis by LeoLabs suggests there are at least 700, potentially more than 900, fragments, Space News has reported.

This debris cloud is now in the same orbital plane as the deployed satellites, posing a risk to long-term orbital safety.

Written by B.C. Begley