China dumping more rocket bodies in space, endangering LEO satellites, new report says

China has been abandoning used launcher rocket stages in low Earth orbit (LEO) at an ever-increasing pace, putting both military and commercial satellites in that crowded orbital regime at greater risk of serious debris-creating collisions, according to a new report.

Used rocket bodies are among the most dangerous kinds of space junk because they carry residual amounts of fuel that often causes them to explode, thus creating even more on-orbit debris.

The analysis from space monitoring firm LeoLabs found that from January 2021 to January 2025 China has abandoned 51 spent rocket bodies in LEO above 650 kilometers (about 404 miles) in altitude, more than doubling the number for the previous five years to bring the total to 96.

Read more at Breaking Defense